‘Walk to Freedom’: Group Retraces NJ's Underground Railroad Route

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Harriet Tubman used the legendary Underground Railroad, which runs through New Jersey, to help freedom seekers escape slavery. She used South Jersey sites on some of her passages and worked in Cape May to fund her mission to lead enslaved people to freedom.

And to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her birth, a group is retracing the freedom route — from Cape May to Burlington — by walking the path and learning its history.

Philadelphia-based “walking artist” Ken Johnson began the 160-mile Walk to Freedom journey with an aim to shine a light on the history and recognize families that were separated and then united through New Jersey’s Underground Railroad.

He is joined by other New Jersey natives in this quest — Deborah Price, Alvin Corbett and Mary Pressley. At different segments of the walk, a few New Jersey residents join the group with an aim to learn more.

“This walk is looking at the remarkable history of the Southern New Jersey Underground Railroad from Cape May to Burlington. The Underground Railroad was a quiet insurgency against slavery. It was run by families over multiple generations that were affiliated with the local churches —Methodist, AME,” said Johnson.

The group explored the Greenwich Line and the Salem Line of the Underground Railroad, which went through Cape May, Cumberland and Salem Counties, and northwards to Gloucester, Camden and Burlington Counties.

Johnson and his group began their walk on April 2 at the southernmost point of New Jersey — the beach in Cape May on Second Avenue. The group walks anywhere between five to 18 miles every week, based on the routes they take.

“Our walks vary. It’s segmented — we would do it every weekend, on Saturdays and Sundays,” Johnson said.

During their walks, the group meets people who are curious to know more. “I have signs on my backpack. When people see us on the road, they'll sometimes stop and offer water and ask us where we're going. Many don't know that their communities were once part of the Underground Railroad,” Johnson said.

“And so seeing this sign is their first recognition that their town may have had something to do with history.”

Along the way, the group has visited many local churches and gravesites and listened to stories of those who’ve guided people to freedom.

“The communities that we pass through, there's still a lot of buildings from that 19th-century era. There are still quite a few old churches that continue to hold meetings, and they once served as Underground Railroad stations,” Johnson said. “We were able to visit some of these churches and attend service, even though the community has pretty much moved on.”

But in this journey, what really stood out for the group was learning more about the large, free African American community living across Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, and their contribution to helping freedom seekers.

“They were really doing the heavy lifting and caring for each other, helping anyone that was seeking freedom to be able to receive food, clothing, shelter, and assistance with moving northward to freedom,” Johnson said.

The group has one last segment of their walk remaining – from Timbuctoo to Burlington City Riverfront. The walk will begin from 130 Church Street, Westhampton at 8 a.m. this Saturday.

“We're inviting the public to join us if they want to walk a mile for Harriet Tubman or for her 200th birthday. They can walk a mile or one block — whatever they feel most comfortable with,” said Johnson who works at Haverford College, Philadelphia.

The walk is expected to take around three and a half hours and there will be a reception after that at the Burlington Quaker Friends Meetinghouse.

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