My Black Pioneer Friend
Ezra Meeker narrates the heartwarming story of black pioneer George Bush and his family who - with a contingent of white neighbors - left Missouri in 1844 heading to the Willamette Valley. Bush was searching for freedom, and all were searching for free land. Oregon's infamous "lash law" forced the Bushes and 24 loyal white friends to settle in "northern Oregon," near today's Tumwater and Olympia. Bush's generosity saved countless whites from starvation; although his color, under federal law, prevented him from owning the land he farmed. Washington's first Territorial Legislature redressed this wrong in 1854. Equipment required: a projection screen.

Westward We Go Free
Nathan Eckstein, an early Seattle civic leader, reveals the untold story of Jews in Washington from the first arrivals circa 1850 to the end of WW II. He explains how centuries of persecution had forced Jews into the very professions and trades that Washington's settlers most desperately needed. He describes the three major waves of Jewish migration, and the shared history that binds this diverse group. Audiences will learn why some Jews attend synagogues, others attend temples, why some keep kosher and others in good conscience do not, and about their enormous contributions to our State. Equipment required: projection screen.

The Oregon Trail to Washington: Ezra Sets the Record Straight
Dismayed at the inaccuracies depicted in the 1924 silent motion picture Covered Wagon, Ezra Meeker is determined to set the record straight for Washingtonians, once and for all. Since he recently completed his fifth trek across the Trail - in an open cockpit bi-plane at 100 miles an hour - he is just the man for the job. He narrates off-beat true stories of what 'really' happened on the Trail to Washington, while attacking myths with the passion of a pioneer who is planning his sixth trip, at age 98. Equipment required: projection screen.