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In 1992, a Minnesota-based software company known for its educational hit\xa0The Oregon Trail\xa0released another simulation-style game to school districts across the country.\xa0Freedom!\xa0took kids on a journey along the Underground Railroad, becoming the first American software program to use slavery as its subject matter.\nLess than four months later, it was pulled from the market. In this episode, we revisit this well-intentioned, but flawed foray into historical trauma that serves as a reminder that teaching Black history in America has always been fraught.\nWe hear from\xa0Julian Lucas,\xa0Mike Palmquist,\xa0Rich Bergeron, Josh Bergeron,\xa0Kamau Kambui, Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, John Ojanen, Darrolyn Sharp, Byron Sharp, and Dean Kephart.\nThis episode was written by Willa Paskin. Decoder Ring is produced by Willa Paskin and Katie Shepherd. This episode was also produced by Benjamin Frisch, and edited by Erica Morrison. Derek John is executive producer. Joel Meyer is senior editor-producer and Merritt Jacob is senior technical director.\nWe\u2019re grateful to Julian Lucas for his expertise, reporting, and generosity, without which this episode would not have been possible. His\xa0New Yorker\xa0article,\xa0\u201cCan Slavery Reenactments Set Us Free?,\u201d revisits the\xa0Freedom!\xa0story as part of an exploration of the live Underground Railroad re-enactments that Kamau Kambui pioneered.\nThank you to Jesse Fuchs for suggesting this topic. Thanks also to Coventry Cowens, Brigitte Fielder, Bob Whitaker, Alan Whisman, Wayne Studer, Alicia Montgomery, Rebecca Onion, Luke Winkie, and Kamau Kambui\u2019s children: Yamro Kambui Fields, Halim Fields, Mawusi Kambui Pierre, Nanyamka Salley, and Kamau Sababu Kambui Jr.\nIf you haven\u2019t please yet, subscribe and rate our feed in Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And even better, tell your friends.\nIf you\u2019re a fan of the show, please sign up for Slate Plus. Members get to listen to Decoder Ring without any ads and have total access to Slate\u2019s website. Your support is also crucial to our work. Go to\xa0Slate.com/decoderplus\xa0to join Slate Plus today.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices