ON FREEDOM ROAD

A bicycle exploration of the paths to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

Following a visit to a museum in Illinois, climate scientist Goodrich, who has undertaken multiple long-distance bike treks, began thinking about the enslaved people that made their way north seeking freedom. Chronicling his 3,000-mile journey, the author records both well- and little-known historical tales, and he effectively demonstrates his belief that traveling by bike provides a unique feel for the land. In taking these journeys, his goal was to “get closer to the people who walked these paths” and to “find a way to tell some of their stories.” In that, he succeeds. First, the author eloquently recounts Harriet Tubman’s 940-mile journey to Canada in search of freedom, including the story of a violent childhood injury that drove her “potent dreams and visions.” Goodrich takes us along the Blues Highway where, “out in the shimmering heat, the field hollers, the call-and-response songs, the spirituals, and the distant rhythms of West Africa slowly came together to birth the blues, the quintessential American music.” Elsewhere, he shares the real-life stories behind some of the events and characters in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin. For example, he describes the life of Josiah Henson, the conductor on the Underground Railroad who was the inspiration for the book’s main character. When he encountered a group of Native Americans, believed to be Shawnee, they guided him and his family along part of his route to freedom. Goodrich also reflects on the current trend in education to suppress discussions of slavery in order to avoid potential discomfort by White students. “There are things in our history that should make us uncomfortable,” he writes. However, “only in grappling with the truths of our past can we begin to construct something new and better.”

A heartfelt reminder of the importance of remembering our past in order to continue to learn from it.