'Walking artist' follows footsteps of Black freedom-seekers across Windsor-Essex

Most people would prefer to spend the Christmas holiday weekend in warmth and comfort — but a Philadelphia man is going to spend it trudging 120 kilometres in the cold across Windsor-Essex.

Ken Johnston, 65, plans on following the footsteps of freedom-seekers who used the region's Underground Railroad to escape slavery 160 years ago.

"They were very afraid at this time of year because frequently they would be sold right after Christmas," Johnston told CBC Windsor. "They called it Heartbreak Day."

"And so this walk is to remember and commemorate those who dared to take on this challenge of seeking freedom during the cold, harsh winter months."

For the past seven years, Johnston has been a "walking artist" — going on long walks on routes and across regions of Black historical significance in North America.

"I am exploring townships, landscapes, geography, all these different things, utilizing my whole body," Johnston explained. "I want to learn from a sensory perspective what it felt like for the souls who journeyed to freedom."

This week, "The Freedmen's Journey" will involve Detroit, Windsor, Sandwich, Harrow, Buxton, Chatham and the community of Dresden — places that were instrumental to the secret network of sanctuaries for Black people escaping slavery in the U.S. in the 1800s.

It's not continuous travel and there won't be any outdoor overnighting: Johnston says he plans on daily walking sessions of four to six hours, with a goal of covering 18 to 20 kilometres per day. He'll take breaks and find shelter when necessary.

"(People) can look for me on the road," Johnston says. "I'll have a sign that I'll be wearing, it's yellow and green."

Johnston has done this in Canada before. "The Freedmen's Journey" took him from New York City to the St. Catharines area in 2022, and along the Niagara border this past summer.

But Johnston's Windsor-Essex journey is only his second time trekking during winter weather. "I'll be layering," he said.

Johnston's time in Essex County will include a public event at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Dec. 28.

Irene Moore Davis, the museum's assistant curator, believes Johnston's walk is an opportunity to understand the resilience and determination of those who were trying to escape slavery.

"We tend to focus a lot on the reception that they received once they came to Canada — the idea that Canada is a welcoming space," Davis reflects.