For years, Ken Johnston has hiked Black heritage trails across the U.S., retracing the steps of civil rights pioneers and the freedom seekers who fled slavery and made the long journey north.
In 2022, to mark the 200th birthday of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, he trekked from New York City to St. Catharines, Ont., where many former slaves settled, and where Tubman lived from 1851 to 1862.
This summer, the Philadelphia-based “walking artist” will continue north, following the path thousands of freedom seekers took to reach Owen Sound, Ont., the northernmost terminus of the Underground Railroad network, after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850.
And he’s looking for people to join him.
“Most of my walks have been solo walks, but this is one that I just feel differently about, and I want to open it up,” he said.
“Doesn’t matter if you’re white or Black or Indigenous. If anyone who has a love of history and wants …