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HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC, in VOA Special English.

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This is Doug Johnson. On our show this week ... Music from thePixies...

A question about American cities that have hosted the OlympicGames...

And...A report about a new museum in the middle western city ofCincinnati, Ohio...

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

HOST:

The new National UndergroundRailroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio officially opens onAugust twenty-third. The name sounds as if it tells about a realrailroad. But the underground railroad was a secret organization. Ithelped African American slaves escape their owners during theeighteen hundreds. The slaves and the people who helped them fleeformed the underground railroad system.Shep O'Neal has more.

ANNCR:

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is a specialmuseum. The Freedom Center is on the north side of the Ohio River.That is part of an area that meant hope for slaves trying to escape.It was called the "freedom corridor." People fleeing their ownerscould stand on the other side of the river and dream of freedomacross the water.

The Freedom Center cost one hundred ten million dollars to build.Its collection shows two hundred objects. These include a copy of awagon with a false bottom that was used to hide fleeing slaves.There are also photographs of Americans who were activists againstslavery.

Visitors can also see objects from the Civil War. The southernstates fought the northern states from eighteen sixty-one toeighteen sixty-five. In eighteen sixty-three, President AbrahamLincoln announced an order to free the slaves.

Perhaps the center's most interesting object is a small buildingwhere slaves were kept. This wooden "pen" stands two levels high. Aslave trader built it in the eighteen thirties. People captured inAfrica were temporarily forced to stay inside the pen. Then theywere sold for service in places further south. The slave pen wasfound on a farm in the state of Kentucky. The owner of the farm gaveit to the Freedom Center. Experts spent six years researching thehistory of the building.

Television star Oprah Winfrey introduces one of the films shownat the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Actors tellabout a young woman who escapes slavery. She flees to a town calledRipley, Ohio. Her former owners try to recapture her. But a familyactive in the Underground Railroad helps her remain free.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will offer anumber of educational programs.

They include public speakers. Also, the center will provideprograms for visiting school groups and information for studentsthrough an Internet Web site. It is www.freedomcenter.org.

Olympic Cities

HOST:

Our VOA listener question this week comes from Bangalore, India.Prashant Devidas asks how many American cities have hosted theOlympic Games.

The Summer Olympic Games are now being played in Athens, Greece.The games have taken place in six different cities in the UnitedStates since the modern Olympic Games began in eighteen ninety-six.

The Summer Games in nineteen oh four were played in Saint Louis,Missouri. Twelve nations took part in more than ninety events heldover more than four months. But only forty-two events includedathletes who were not from the United States. The Saint LouisOlympics are important in the history of the games. They were thefirst at which gold, silver and bronze medals were given for first,second and third place in the competitions. And the first Africansto compete in the Olympics did so in Saint Louis.

In nineteen thirty-two, the Summer Olympics were held in LosAngeles, California. Thirty-seven nations took part in these gamesheld during the great economic depression. Experts say the level ofcompetition was extremely high. Eighteen world records were eitherbroken or equaled. These Olympics were the first to be held oversixteen days. The length of the Olympics has remained betweenfifteen and eighteen days ever since. Los Angeles also hosted theSummer Olympics in nineteen eighty-four, when the Soviet Unionrefused to take part.

A third American city to host the Summer Olympics was Atlanta,Georgia in nineteen ninety-six. Almost two hundred nations took partin more than two hundred events. The games set a record for the mostnations to win medals - seventy-nine.

Three other American cities have hosted the Winter Olympic Gamessince that competition began in nineteen twenty-four. Lake Placid,New York held the games in nineteen thirty-two and again in nineteeneighty. Squaw Valley, California hosted them in nineteen sixty. AndSalt Lake City, Utah was the site of the most recent Winter Games intwo thousand two.

The Pixies Return

HOST:

The Pixies are back. From nineteen eighty-six to nineteenninety-two, they gained a following among fans of alternative rock.This influential group led by Black Francis (also known as CharlesThompson) had four successful albums and several hit songs. GwenOuten has more on the Pixies' reunion.

ANNCR:

It appears that the Pixies may have more fans now than beforethey broke up. A lot of their current shows are selling out. Infact, business is so good, the group is adding more performancesalong the way. One of the songs most popular with audiences is thenineteen eighty-nine hit, "Here Comes Your Man."

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"Here Comes Your Man" was on "Doolittle," the second album fromthe Pixies and their biggest seller. Another popular album"Bossanova," came out in nineteen ninety with this song, "Allison."

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The Pixies already have recorded one new song together. And theiragent hopes the band will put together a new album. But until thenyou can enjoy them live ... if you can get tickets, that is.

We leave you with another song from "Doolittle. " Here are thePixies with "La La Love You."

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HOST:

This is Doug Johnson.

I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC. Join us again next week forVOA's radio magazine in Special English.

This program was written by Nancy Steinbach, Jerilyn Watson andCaty Weaver. Paul Thompson was the producer.