Historian walks enslaved Africans' route to Canada for America's 250th Birthday: "It's pretty humbling"
As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, one historian is marking the occasion with a journey rooted in remembrance and reflection.
Anthony Cohen is traveling 750 miles from Sandy Spring, Maryland to Ontario, Canada, retracing one of the routes enslaved Africans took along the Underground Railroad in their search for freedom. Battling extreme heat along the way, he said the experience has been both physically demanding and deeply moving.
"It's pretty humbling," Cohen said.
Cohen is president of the Menare Foundation, a nonprofit that preserves the history of the Underground Railroad. He first made the pilgrimage 30 years ago. Now, with the nation approaching its semiquincentennial, he's making the trip again.
"Freedom Walk 2026 wants to bring attention to Black history, which is currently under attack with signage coming down," Cohen said.
The journey includes 600 miles on foot, with the remaining 150 miles traveled by train, horse and buggy, and boat. They are methods that reflect the different ways slaves once traveled north in search of freedom.
Traveling with Cohen is a statue of Harriet Tubman on a trailer that stops at schools, churches and community centers throughout the route to get people excited to learn about the Underground Railroad.
"The Harriet Tubman Journey to Freedom statue is our calling card, and we're using it for education and spreading the word about history," Cohen said.
The statue is currently on display at Old Kennett Meetinghouse on Kendal Drive in Kennett Square. The Kennett Underground Railroad Center is asking visitors who take selfies with the statue to send the photos to info@kennettundergroundrr.org.
"We are glad they are hosting The Journey to Freedom traveling exhibit at the Old Kennett Meetinghouse, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad," Chris Mohr, the general secretary of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Friends, said. "All along the walk, we believe Harriet Tubman's quiet but powerful presence will provide a beacon of hope and inspiration to everyone who visits."
The walk has drawn people from a wide range of backgrounds.
In Pennsylvania, author Tom DeWolf joined Cohen for part of the journey. DeWolf said his ancestors were slave owners, and he believes it's his responsibility to help foster healing and understanding.
"As a White man, I think it's critically important to stand up for people that don't have the privileges that I have as a White male in this country," DeWolf said. "Women, people of color, anybody who's marginalized."
For Cohen, the journey is about more than retracing history. He hopes it encourages people to reflect on the meaning of freedom and the sacrifices made by those who fought for it.
"We're born into a society that has freedoms, but those freedoms are not guaranteed," Cohen said.
Cohen began his trek on May 4. He plans to continue educating communities along the route before ending the journey in Ontario on July 4.
