Against the backdrop of the Rappahannock River — where enslaved people once escaped to freedom during the era of slavery via the Underground Railroad” — a statue of Harriet Tubman leading her neice to freedom stands ready to retrace that journey next month.
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Temporarily visiting Fredericksburg, the 2,200-pound Journey to Freedom bronze sculpture by North Carolina artist Wesley Wofford was the focal point of historian Anthony “Tony” Cohen’s address to guests at Riverfront Park on Friday morning.
The historian is preparing to recreate his 1996 project of walking the Underground Railroad from Maryland to Canada. His visit to Fredericksburg with the mobile public history installation is the kickoff for his Freedom Walk 2026.
“It will be the 30th anniversary of my walk and the 250th of our nation’s independence. Can you think of a better time?” Cohen said.
When Cohen started walking from Maryland to Canada in 1996 in search of traces of Tubman’s Underground Railroad, he was a 32-year-old graduate student with a backpack and some extra time on his hands. Now 62 years old, he will embark on the walk with a team of supporters and the bronze sculpture.
“The mission of the walk is to bring attention to what Harriet Tubman stood for as an American,” Cohen stated in a press release. Cohen is president of the Menare Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to the legacy of the Underground Railroad. “Harriet means unwavering courage, liberation, and humanitarianism. ‘Journey to Freedom,’ will draw a lot of attention along the way and, frankly, that’s the point. We can all take pride and engage in our shared story.”
His visit was quickly arranged by the Fredericksburg Area Museum, the city’s economic development and tourism department, the parks and recreation department, the department of public works and community leaders.
Ward 2 Fredericksburg City councilwoman Joy Crump was one of several local leaders who delivered remarks in front of the statue, noting that as a 57-year-old Black woman she knows “healing only begins when you tell the truth and I admire Fredericksburg for its willingness to tell our stories truthfully.”
Fredericksburg city councilor Joy Crump speaks in front of the Journey to Freedom statue. (Photos by Jeff Kearney)
“Stories of how over 10,000 enslaved Americans crossed the Rappahannock River right there in defiance,” Crump continued. “Stories of the more than 350 enslaved Americans that were sold in the center of this town at an auction block right up the street. Stories of James L. Farmer Jr. and the Freedom Rides… Our truth is complicated, and parts of it are dark. But today, Fredericksburg can honestly say that we are truly a city that joins hands and works together.”
Eunice Haigler, a longtime local historian and community organizer focused on African-American culture and history in the region, spoke about how, growing up in Spotsylvania County, she only understood slavery as it was presented in a textbook. But upon learning the story of Tubman, she realized she had a role model from history to guide her.
“I think the thing that most impressed me about Harriet Tubman was her resilience,” she said.
She paraphrased Tubman’s resolve and determination: “‘Okay, you going with me or you die. This is the way it is.’ But what got to me was that heart of love. She had to have such tremendous love for her people. And so to stand here right now — when I saw the statue, I just went breathless.”
The event also included an address by Tubman reenactor Cleo Coleman. The 95-year-old Caroline County native and retired educator has portrayed Tubman at events around the nation and founded Historic Port Royal.
Coleman stated that Virginia should have its own Tubman statue and suggested to the audience that the Journey to Freedom statue should remain in Fredericksburg.
“It grieves me … that we don’t have the statues of historical martyrs that we ought to have,” she said. “We associate this woman with a lot of places—but not Virginia. This great soul started in Virginia, started her planning here.”
Eunice Haigler talks about her adoration for Harriet Tubman.
Cohen’s 750-mile pilgrimage, titled #FreedomWalk2026, will begin May 4 at the Sandy Spring Slave Museum and plans to cross through Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York before ending in Toronto on July 4.
As Cohen’s journey progresses from town to town, he plans to stop at key locations daily to highlight landmarks and history. On weekends, the team will co-sponsor Activation Days where the sculpture, towed by truck, will be parked for open viewing and broader engagement.
“The weekly activations will be community gatherings, where thousands of people can join us if they’re inspired,” he said. “We’ll have presentations, service projects, food and music, and community walks where the public can join the journey.”
Funding for the project will come in part through a per-mile pledge campaign driven by public support on www.menare.org. According to Cohen, that kind of grassroots backing reflects how Tubman herself relied on everyday people to help enslaved Africans escape to freedom.
Cleo Coleman and the Journey to Freedom statue, on its only Virginia stop at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg on Friday.
