photo courtesy of Kenneth Johnston
On Saturday, September 17, West Philadephia native Kenneth Johnston finished a 400-mile journey called the Walk to Freedom. The trip was intended to honor Harriet Tubman and what she did to free enslaved Black people. Johnston walked a journey that took him along the Underground Railroad route across New York to Ontario, Canada. Johnston made stops at multiple historic Black sites.
Johnston’s trip began in July when he started at the Harriet Tubman Memorial erected in Harlem, New York. The geographical steps of the journey went from Harlem to the Hudson River Valley, through central New York, and continuing North; Johnston ended the ‘Walk to Freedom’ at Tubman’s church that she frequented. The British Methodist Episcopal Churchway in Ontario. Along the way, Kenneth Johnston had the opportunity to meet Tubman’s great-great grandniece named Judith Bryant, as reported by NBC.
“It helped me connect to Harriet Tubman even more in her life by meeting her descendants,” Johnston said.
“I was amazed,” Johnston added about his journey, “It was an incredible journey walking across New York state, particularly from Albany to Buffalo … visiting many of the known Underground Railroad communities.”
“I have so much respect for Harriet Tubman and just how far and how much of herself she gave to rescue so many people over 800 miles from Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” Johnston continued.
61-year-old Johnston has completed other long-distance trips in honor of Tubman. In 2019, Johnston recreated the walk Tubman had to take when traveling to free her brothers back in 1854. The trip was 140 miles long from Maryland to Philadelphia, and whereas Johnston took six weeks to cover the distance, Tubman did it in four days.
“[It] still blows my mind.” Johnston awed at Tubman.