Historian Anthony Cohen, a fourth-generation descendant of a runaway slave, talked about his work exploring the American slavery experience, from his 1996 retracing of the Underground Railroad by foot to being shipped inside a wooden crate like Virginia fugitive Henry "Box" Brown. He also talked about the work of The Menare Foundation which he founded, including the Button Farm Living History Center. He used a PowerPoint presentation, including images from a 1998 mock slave auction held at the former Franklin and Armfield slave trading office in Alexandria. Mr. Cohen also demonstrated a replica of a type of slave collar and responded to questions from members of the audience.

"Unshackling History: Recreating Experiences from American Slavery" was a program of the Alexandria Historical Society held May 26, 2010, at the Lyceum Theatre in Alexandria, Virginia. This annual meeting of the society began with society business and the election of officers.