"The history of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, tourism and facts on the history of Blacks in New York State and Canada"

The Foundation is about recognizing the people who started the Forging the Freedom Trail Project to ensure that the “Story Is Told Right” and to bring about an “Economic Engine” that will help all of the Underground Railroad entities in New York State.

In October of 1998, concerned African American individuals, male and female throughout New York State and Canada, gathered at Auburn, New York at The Harriet Tubman House for the purpose to explore a common past, for researching and interpreting Black history in New York State and the New York State Underground Railroad connection to Canada.

Many such meetings were held in Auburn, New York, Brooklyn, New York and Albany, New York to form a statewide organization that would address the Preservation of Black historical sites in New York State, Education of the correct curriculum of Black history to students in the schools of New York State and the New York State Board of Education, Also, the Commemoration of Harriet Tubman and Tourism as it relates to the History of Blacks in New York State.

In 1999, a New York State wide organization was formed, which also included Canada, with "Twelve Regional Coordinators." The organization was named "Forging The Freedom Trail Project" and with a organization logo that was designed by "EarthSong Graphics." Also, receiving assistance from MKL.Net, an Internet Service Provider, providing the organization with the opportunity to have a web site.

On May 22nd, 1999, the organization gave an New York Statewide "Underground Railroad Conference" at the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, New York with workshops to underscore its commitment of Preservation, Education, Commemoration and the importance of Tourism for Black history in New York State.

The organization is working with the Black Women Leadership Caucus, established June 19th, 1999 an based in Albany, New York, to assist in the commemoration of Harriet Tubman to become a state and national holiday.

We have reached out to the "Enable Organization" a women organization located n Binghamton, New York to work with the Black Women Leadership Caucus in Broome County of the Central Leatherstocking Region of New York State.

In April of 2000, "Forging The Freedom Trail Project" initiated a "Time Line of Black History" with the assistance of MKL.Net, Internet Service Provider and a home based E-Commerce business Upstate88.com. The "Time Line of Black History" was created for the enjoyment, celebration and education of the general to the contribution made by African Americans throughout the Diaspora. Also, to assist in the development of a "Syllabus" for the New York State Educational System and local educational school systems that will offer the opportunity for a correct curriculum of African American history throughout the Diaspora.

A logo was created for the "Time Line for Black History" by Munholand Design  as a new companion logo for "Forging The Freedom Trail Project" that was also created by "Munholand Design."

On Saturday June 24th, 2000, "Forging The Freedom Trail Project" participated in a conference "Great Stuff Is Made Locally" with other local entities promoting and expanding the business environment in which, jobs can be created and businesses begin to flourish. The conference was held at General Clinton Park, Conference Pavilion, Route 7, in the Village of Bainbridge, New York. The conference showcased examples of human and natural regional/local resources (local products, business entities, youth entrepreneurs, merchants display, historic display and information on tourism attractions in the area, etc.) as does the "Great Stuff Is Made Locally " on its examples web page. The conference did identify and unify local tourism promotion efforts.

On September 12, 2006 we lost our leader and a Giant of a man Mr. George M. Sands. His son has now taken the lead, and the Sands family is starting a foundation for their father, cousin and friend. Mr. Sands was one of the driving forces behind the Forging the Freedom Trail Project. The family and friends came to a decision to make the Forging the Freedom Trail Project into a Foundation honoring the four people who, without them, the Forging the Freedom Trail Project would have never been started. Mr. Sands lived history by registering voters in the South during the time when Africans in American were fighting for their Civil Rights. Mr. Sands was among the Freedom Riders and was a man who never stopped fighting for his culture. Mr. Sands even on his "death-bed", never stopped learning about history and sharing that history to anyone that wanted to learn. Mr. Sands was a visionary on how to go about saving Black History. For he took what he lived, saw and felt and made sure that he used what he had learned in his past to make his life and the lives of other people better.

Mr. Sands never asked to be in the spotlight and would help others get in the spotlight. Mr. Sands knew he had to do whatever it took to bring about a change for the betterment of all citizens. Mr. Sands always preached that the education of our youth is the first thing that should happen before anything else. Mr. Sands would say, "Education should be number one on your list of things to do for yourself and then again education should be number one through one hundred on your list of things to do for yourself." For if you do not educate the youth then who will know how to continue what you have started? Knowledge is power, read a newspaper every day, read a book once a week, listen to others to learn from them and more importantly do not believe everything you read or hear. Believe only what you can find out is actually true and learn from your past for it will help you in your future.

The "Forging The Freedom Trail Project" has been reorganized on December 1, 2006 and as of the first of January 2007 the Forging The Freedom Trail Project will be "Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation" (Foundation). As part of this reorganization Friends of Harriet Tubman Committee, Great Stuff Is Made Locally and Market Research Initiative are now subsidiaries of the Foundation. This will allow all of the work that Mr. Sands was doing to continue.

The Forging The Freedom Trail Project was funded mostly by members using their own money to support the Forging The Freedom Trail Project. The Foundation will allow the members of the Foundation to stop using their own money and will allow the Foundation to bring about the ecomonic development plan that Mr. Sands wrote.

The Forging The Freedom Trail Project has gone as far as it can with not much money. With the Forging The Freedom Trail Project becoming the Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation, this will allow the work of Forging The Freedom Trail Project to continue and be better funded.

To the end, the Foundation has a Business Plan that will make this Foundation not like other Foundations. The Business Plan is written to insure that when and if grants goes away the Foundation will still have money to do the Foundations work.

Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation, main office, and the office for the Central Leatherstocking Region of New York State, located in the Village of Bainbridge, 28 North Main Street, Bainbridge, New York 13733, telephone (607) 265-3441 and to E-mail the Chair of the Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation and Regional Coordinator, George M. Sands IV.

The Foundation is working on creating our own "New Underground Railroad for Economic Freedom Trail" for Black historical sites that will run from Brooklyn, New York, one of the organization regions, to Peekskill, New York in the Hudson Valley of New York, for its historical role in the Underground Railroad that connects with Brooklyn, New York. Then proceed North, on the New Underground Railroad for Economic Freedom Trail, to the Village of Bainbridge main office of Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation, then continuing North to Canada making various stops on the way at "Underground Railroad" historical sites. Eventually this "New Underground Rail Road for Ecomonic Freedom Trail" will become a permanent tour to all of the Historical sties of the Underground Railroad statewide in New York State.

The Foundation recognizes the four founders of the Forging the Freedom Trail Project, and a woman who has crossed over. Before she left, she helped shape the minds of most of the members of the Sands family. Her guidance, lessons and help are one of the major driving forces behind how the Forging the Freedom Trail Project become what it is today. Mrs. Barbara Burnett, “Bi” to family and friends, was a woman who not only lived her life, but she did her part as a true African and believed in the saying “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child.” She was the “Queen” of our family’s village. She made sure that any family members that came into here life were given love, guidance, understanding and anything else that was needed. She showed many, both part of her family and many not, how to live a life that a person could be proud of. She was a mountain of a woman that had room on her mountain for many. Without her guidance, many in the Sands family would not be who they are today. We honor "Bi" with this Foundation, yes and it is not enough to just honor her. We will honor more by living our lives, as she had wanted us to live our lives. We honor "Bi" because she was a living angel when she was alive and now she is an angel in Heaven.

The Foundation also recognizes a woman who crossed over, but before she left she helped and fought for her culture in Broome County, as the Chairperson of the Broome County Martin Luther King Commission. She lived her life in a spiritual way and was a very Christian giving woman. Her door was never closed and she gave regardless of one’s color, creed or culture. The Forging the Freedom Trail Project and the Broome County Martin Luther King Commission had partnered to work together on the Objective and Goals of the Forging the Freedom Trail Project. The members will miss Ms. Elaine Hughes’ wisdom which helped make the Forging the Freedom Trail Project what it is today.

The Dreams of the Founders, the Objectives and Goals of the Forging The Freedom Trail Project are and always be the same Dreams, Objectives and Goals of the Forging The Freedom Trail Project Foundation!

The well written article written by Susan McNamara of the Democrat and Chronicle Finding a Home for a Hero should be read to understand what the Forging the Freedom Trail Project Foundation has written Finding a Home for the Heros of the New York State Underground Railroad