The Treacherous Journey to Freedom, Then and Now | Sojourners

The Treacherous Journey to Freedom, Then and Now

By Angelique Walker-Smith
Fifteen fugitive slaves arriving in Philadelphia in July 1856. Engraving from William Still/Shutterstock. 
Nov 14, 2018
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When I landed at the airport in Brownsville, Texas, the Border Patrol was visibly present. I was suddenly reminded of my ancestors who were also greeted by “border patrol” while fleeing from the brutal chattel slavery in the southern states and making their way north – even all the way to Canada.

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Fifteen fugitive slaves arriving in Philadelphia in July 1856. Engraving from William Still/Shutterstock.