Why Winter is Our Ancestral Season Of Freedom
As we shield ourselves from the biting winter air, let's remember to say a prayer of thanks. It might come as a shock, but winter is our ancestral season of freedom.
“I will stay with you for a while, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.” – 1 Corinthians 16.
For our enslaved ancestors, winter meant that Christmas was on its way. Christmas was the best time to escape as enslavers were often distracted by the holiday festivities.
Jermain “Jarm” Wesley Loguen of Tennessee was one of thousands of enslaved people who fled at Christmastime. In 1834, after weeks of preparation, Loguen stole his enslaver’s horse, loaded it with sacks of food, tucked his forged travel passes into a pocket, and rode off into the night.
He rode for days, narrowly avoiding slave catchers and receiving help from guides on the Underground Railroad. As soon as he crossed the border into Canada, Loguen was finally able to breathe freely.
Loguen relocated to New York in 1837, where he opened an elementary school for Black children, became a respected Methodist minister, and turned his home in Syracuse into one of the principal stops on the Underground Railroad. He became known as the “Underground Railroad King.”
Loguen once exclaimed, “Lord speed the day!--freedom begins with the holidays!"
As we welcome winter and the holiday season, let’s say a prayer of thanks for how this time of year historically protected our ancestors.
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