SAN BERNARDINO

By Jequetta Bellard

From August 20-24, 2007 local youngsters will learn firsthand about important Underground Railroad conductors such as  Harriet Tubman, John Parker, and John Rankin and the incredible courage of the people who sought freedom along the central and lesser known route of the Underground Railroad from Kentucky to Canada. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with the descendants of these Americans and Canadians and retrace their footsteps which are now, at last, being preserved through a major effort of the National Park Service.

As a result of this travel study experience the modern day conductors will bring this almost forgotten period of American history alive for their young passengers.  Each day participants will hear different oral histories from interpreters whose ancestors risked everything for freedom. Walking through and touching the safe houses, churches, and barns which allowed the original freedom seekers to rest and eat by day as they traveled by night, will help the participants to better understand the price of freedom many have come to take for granted. At the end of the more than 900 miles that freedom seekers walked, study tour participants will arrive in Cannan Land (Canada), and will have visited dozens of the historical towns, homes, museums, grave sites and spoken with scores of descendants of these valiant people.

This year's participants of the youth Footsteps to Freedom Study tour of the Underground Railroad are members of  Ecclesia Christian Fellowship, Temple Missionary Baptist Church, the Phoenix Project, San Bernardino Unified School District, Riverside Unified School District.

They have worked diligently to raise the necessary funds to cover the cost of the air and ground travel fees. However, despite their best efforts they were unable to reach their goal. Therefore, the youths are asking your assistance in raising the remaining funds for the group. Time is of the essence, please contact Cheryl Brown at: 909.888.5040 if you would like to invest monetarily in this unique educational opportunity for local youth.