[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S8554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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 IN HONOR OF THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FAMILY REUNION FESTIVAL 
                            AND ITS SPONSORS

 Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the 
Harriet Tubman Historical Society and the National Underground Railroad 
Family Reunion Festival. The William Still Underground Railroad 
Foundation, Inc. sponsors this national festival. Celebrating the rich 
history of those that sought their freedom and the freedom of others by 
following the North Star, the festival reunites families from 
throughout the country--particularly descendants of the many men and 
women who bravely constituted the Underground Railroad.
  Descendants of William Still, who is considered by many to be the 
father of the Underground Railroad, have gathered to preserve their 
family's legacy for the past 133 years. They unite in celebration and 
in honor of Still and other pioneering gentlemen and gentlewomen who 
fought against the oppressive forces of slavery. William Still was a 
freeborn black who became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and 
businessman. Working tirelessly to free the enslaved and to destroy the 
very institution of slavery, William Still led perhaps the most 
dramatic system of protest our young Nation had ever seen.
  As the birthplace of William Still and other notable abolitionists, 
New Jersey played a significant role in the success of the Underground 
Railroad. Offering an excellent cover of dense forests and heavy 
wilderness, our State provided various routes for Underground 
conductors. After crossing the Delaware River under the cloak of 
darkness, escaping slaves would travel from Camden to Burlington, and 
then on to Bordentown. Runaways also came to Bordentown through the 
towns of Swedesboro and Woodbury. This path to freedom then ran north 
through the woodlands of Princeton and on to New Brunswick, a hub in 
the railroad that also received fugitives traveling from Trenton. 
Conductors then bore their travelers across the Raritan River--a 
perilous but pivotal crossing. From Rahway these exhausted and 
terrified slaves and their devoted guides traveled to Jersey City and 
into New York. These newly emancipated men, women, and children then 
continued their journey north, to Canada and to freedom. The 
Underground Railroad carried the hopes and dreams of hundreds of 
thousands. Many Americans risked their own lives and the lives of their 
loved ones in order to defend the beliefs that all are created equal 
and that liberty is a universal right.
  Families and communities throughout New Jersey were vital to the 
liberation of countless slaves. The National Family Reunion Festival, 
sponsored by the Still family, seeks to provide a forum for 
generations, not only to preserve their due sense of pride, but to pass 
on the stories of their forebears' bravery to younger generations. The 
Still family boasts a proud American heritage that dates back 360 
years. Fittingly, the Stills have spearheaded this year's 3-day 
festival. It is the first of its kind--a unique blend of history and 
culture, the past and the present, a commemoration of the historical 
fight against the enslavement of men and women and finally a 
celebration of the unity we seek and strive to create in our Nation 
every day. The National Underground Railroad Family Reunion Festival 
will bring together descendants of conductors, abolitionists, 
stationmasters, and fugitives along with those who joyously recognize 
the incredible courage with which the railroad ran and the invaluable 
justice for which it ran.
  Mr. President, I invite you and my colleagues to join me in 
commending The William Still Underground Railroad Foundation, Inc. and 
the Harriet Tubman Historical Society for their spectacular efforts 
that honor the valorous deeds of abolitionists and keep the history and 
legacies of our great Nation alive.

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