In 1996, historian Tony Cohen set out on an 8-week journey to explore the Underground Railroad, the secret network to freedom of enslaved self-liberators. Cohen traced the steps of freedom-seekers along wilderness trails and waterways, traveling by foot, boat, and rail across 5 states and 1,200 miles, from Maryland to Canada. He stopped at towns along the way, visiting historic safehouses, African American communities, and Quaker sanctuaries, to chronicle stories of freedom through artifacts, documents, and oral accounts.

In 2026, on the 30th anniversary of his walk—and to mark the 250th celebration of the nation’s founding—Cohen will retrace his historic trek to Canada, by foot, once again. Beginning at the Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art Gallery in Sandy Spring, MD, he will walk from Maryland to Canada on a route of the Underground Railroad.  Accompanied by the Journey To Freedom Statue of Harriet Tubman. 

Walking twelve miles per day, participants will journey from Maryland, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, through upstate New York, ultimately crossing into Canada on July 1st —honoring the paths taken by our ancestral freedom seekers even beyond American borders. 

The New York gathering serves as a sacred midpoint — a moment of rest, historical reflection, honor, and communal recommitment before the walkers continue their journey toward healing, justice, truth and conciliation carrying the legacy of the Underground Railroad forward!  

Much like Harriett Tubman, who relied on the strength of her network as she navigated the Underground Railroad, Tony and his team are counting on your generosity to complete the 750-mile walk to Canada from May 4 to July 4, 2026. A pledge-per-mile for the #FreedomWalk2026 will help fund food, lodging and transportation for the Journey To Freedom statue, as well as preserving American history during our nation’s 250th commemoration.  

The 750-mile pilgrimage, following 19th-century routes to freedom, will commemorate the brave self-liberators, the abolitionists, and their secret networks, during the 250th anniversary of American independence. The journey will draw upon the legacy and achievements of previous generations to galvanize modern activists to work toward truth-telling and transformation.  

#FreedomWalk2026 envisions a nation where America’s unfinished story is completed to form a more just and perfect union. Uniting past and present we seek to re-ignite the ideals of “We the People”—sparking inspiration for future generations to secure equity, justice, and liberation for all.