“Why did I have to travel all the way to Cincinnati, Ohio, to learn East Tennessee history?” I asked myself while touring the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center on the northern banks of the Ohio River.
"Jordan River is deep and wide, hallelujah!Milk and honey on the other side, hallelujah!"
For fugitive slaves the Ohio River was the Jordan. Just as the Hebrew people crossed the Jordan to reach the Promised Land, those escaping bondage in the South crossed the Ohio seeking freedom in the North, often having to travel as far as Canada.
"I’m on my way to Canaan landI’m on my way to Canaan landI’m on my way to Canaan landI’m on my way, Great God, I’m on my way."
For fugitive slaves, getting to Cincinnati was an important part of the journey to Canaan land (Canada.) So it is appropriate to have a museum dedicated to the history of the Underground Railroad in that city. I recommend a visit. It is a powerful way to learn about the people who took great risks in order to gain freedom for themselves and their families.
"The River Jordan is chilly and cold, hallelujah!Chills the body, but not the soul, hallelujah!"
I was looking forward to my visit to the museum but was not expecting to learn anything about East Tennessee. Nevertheless, one of the most prominent exhibits was dedicated to the Rev. John Rankin, his wife, Jean, and their 13 children, a white family who worked tirelessly to aid fugitive slaves in their quest for freedom.
The good reverend was born in Dandridge, Tennessee. As an adult he became the minister of the Jefferson County Presbyterian Church. In 1815 he became one of the founders of the Tennessee Manumission Society, an organization dedicated to encouraging slaveholders to free their slaves. However, when he preached a sermon against slavery, the elders of his congregation invited him to leave, suggesting he might be happier elsewhere.
“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,” the scriptures tell us. After a period of wandering in the wilderness the Rev. Rankin decided to build a house on a tall hill on the northern banks of the Ohio River in the town of Ripley so he could practice what he preached. I made a pilgrimage to that house and saw the window where the family would place an oil lamp, providing a light visible on the other side of the river. Whenever light shone from that window, those fleeing slavery knew it was safe to cross over.
"This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineThis little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shineLet it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
The words of African American spirituals both old and contemporary give us a glimpse into a faith that can inspire all of us to work for freedom. It is estimated that the Rankin family helped over 2,000 people on their journey toward freedom at great personal risk to themselves. The Rev. Rankin told his congregation that when our efforts seem small, it becomes all the more important that we do the little we can do: “Remember, you must 'Do justly, love mercy' – break every yoke, and let the oppressed go free.”
On the 4th of July we celebrate American independence from Great Britain, but not everyone living in our land at the time was free. Any effort to accurately tell the story of our nation is in continual danger from state politicians who denounce anything unpleasant as “critical race theory.” For this reason, you may have to travel to Cincinnati to learn some East Tennessee history.
Chris Buice is minister of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.
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