The Democrat and Chronicle's Justin Murphy wrote a detailed story about the history of the founders of Rochester and surrounding towns. As Murphy reports, historians have used historical documents to confirm that Nathaniel Rochester enslaved people and was not the abolitionist that some of the city's lore has suggested. As a result, activists have debated whether to strip the name of Rochester and other racist founders off of parks, buildings, and even the city itself.
Our guests discuss it:
- Justin Murphy, education reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle
- Bill Johnson, former mayor of the City of Rochester
- Justin Behrend, professor and department chair of history at SUNY Geneseo
- Victoria Schmitt, local historian
