The Underground Railroad
The Walk to
Canada
On May 4,
1996, historian and Menare founder, Anthony Cohen embarked on a two-month-long journey to
explore a tragically overlooked part of American history - the Underground
Railroad - the secret network, which thousands of slaves traveled to attain
their freedom. Cohen began his trek in Sandy Spring, MD,
traveling a distance of 1,200 miles, by foot, boat and rail to his final
destination in Amherstburg, Ontario, on July 7, 1996. Cohen traced the steps of runaways along
wilderness trails and waterways to fugitive slave communities and Quaker
sanctuaries. Following the success of his walk, Cohen embarked on another in 1998 traveling
three months from Mobile, Alabama to Windsor, Ontario. Cohen's story has appeared in numerous radio
and print sources.
The Underground Railroad Immersion Experience
In 1997, historian Anthony Cohen prepared television icon
Oprah Winfrey for her role as Sethe in the film
Beloved. Blindfolded and dropped on a Maryland plantation,
Tony transported Oprah back to the time of slavery, where for
two days and nights she lived as a fugitive on a simulated Underground Railroad-
an experience she later claimed as an inspiration for her change-your-life TV
show.
Now transformed into a 2-day experiential workshop, set on a
recreated 1850s Maryland plantation, participants are led on a sensory journey
through past focused on confronting inner limitations. At the heart of
Underground Railroad Immersion Experience participants face what enslaves them
today through the redemptive story of slavery and freedom.
