I CAME TO CANADA IN 1961, IT WAS EXACTLY 100 YEARS FROM THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.
I CAME WEST....KNEW LITTLE OF ANY DETAILED CANADIAN HISTORY.
AND I SURE KNEW JUST ABOUT NOTHING OF THE DAYS OF THE YEARS BEFORE AND AFTER 1861 OF THE BLACKS, OF AMERICAN SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH. WE HAD BEEN TAUGHT NOTHING ABOUT IT IN HISTORY CLASS IN MY HIGH SCHOOL IN ENGLAND.
I CAME WEST, TO A WHITE POPULATION CANADA; I HAD NO IDEA FOR SOME DECADES THAT CANADA HAS A BLACK POPULATION THAT WAS TIED VERY DIRECTLY TO THE BLACKS OF THE SOUTH UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
FINALLY AFTER 3 DECADES IN CANADA, WHEN I WAS NOW LIVING IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NEXT TO THE STATE OF MAINE, I CAME TO SEE THERE WAS A LARGE BLACK POPULATION IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA [TO THE EAT AND SOUTH OF NEW BRUNSWICK] AND THEN I FIRST LEARNED OF THE "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD."
IN 1850, MANY DREAMED OF FREEDOM. FEW HAD THE COURAGE TO ATTEMPT IT.
THOSE ARE THE WORDS ON THE FRONT OF THE RECENT DVD I BOUGHT CALLED "RACE TO FREEDOM - The Story Of The Underground Railroad."
NEW YORK NEWSDAY says: "TAKES ROOTS ONE STEP FURTHER"
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER says: "IT TUGS AT THE INTELLECT AS WELL AS THE HEARTSTRINGS
CHICAGO TRIBUNE says: "A MOVING, EXCITING HISTORICAL MELODRAMA"
VARIETY say: "COMPELLING"
L.A. TIMES say: "TERRIFIC"
ON THE BACK COVER WE READ:
"IN THE TRADITION OF ROOTS AND GLORY, RACE TO FREEDOM FOLLOWS THE ESCAPE OF FOUR SLAVES, TWO MEN AND TWO WOMEN, WHO FLEE THE OPPRESSIVE CLUTCHES OF THEIR PLANTATION AND BEGIN A HARROWING TREK TOWARD CANADA.
ALONG THE WAY THEY DISCOVER THE "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD," A CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED NETWORK OF WHITES AND FREE BLACKS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO SHELTER, FEED, AND CONCEAL RUNAWAY SLAVES IN THEIR COURAGEOUS QUEST FOR FREEDOM."
IT IS A MOST TOUCHING AND INSPIRING MOVIE BASED UPON ACTUAL HISTORICAL REALITY. IT IS ALSO SHOCKING AS IT LAYS BARE THE TWISTED AND YES I WILL SAY, DEMENTED MIND-SET OF MANY SLAVE OWNERS IN THE SOUTH USA, DURING THE TIME LEADING UP TO THE 1861 CIVIL WAR IN THE USA.
BY 1861 40,000 BLACKS MADE IT TO CANADA VIA THE NAMED "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD" - THROUGH THE DEDICATED LIVES OF WHITES AND FREE BLACKS, WHO KNEW SLAVERY WAS WRONG AND NEEDED TO BE ABOLISHED, AS IT WAS FINALLY DONE BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
THIS IS AN "ATLANTIS FILMS, LIMITED" PRODUCTION.
AFTER AMERICAN SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED, TWO THIRDS OF THE BLACKS THAT HAD ALREADY MADE IT TO CANADA, RETURNED TO THEIR HOMELAND ROOTS; BUT THE OTHER THIRD STAYED AND MADE CANADA THEIR HOME.
THIS IS A MOVIE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE IN YOUR LIBRARY, ESPECIALLY IF RAISING AND TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN. ALL PEOPLES NEED TO KNOW THIS PART OF NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT IS A SAD CHAPTER BUT ALSO AN INSPIRING CHAPTER OF AMERICAN HISTORY. AND IT IS ALSO A CHAPTER OF CANADIAN HISTORY.
MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SEE "RACE TO FREEDOM - THE STORY OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD."
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