In 2002, at age 73, Joan Southgate undertook a 519-mile walk from southern Ohio to Canada to draw attention to the Underground Railroad. She wanted to honor a moment in history when people came together across color, creed, and class to do freedom’s work. Later Joan founded “Restore Cleveland Hope,” an organization to teach about Cleveland’s anti-slavery history.
She wrote “In Their Path: A Grandmother's 519-Mile Underground Railroad Walk” recounting her journey and her autobiography “Bout Time.”