For many states, September represents International Underground Railroad Month. In 2019, The State of Maryland proclaimed September as International Underground Railroad Month. In 2020, the states Maryland and Michigan were trailblazers in the effort to include more states in this celebration, working with the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom to connect with verified Underground Railroad sites, facilities, and programs from across the United States.
September was chosen to represent International Underground Railroad Month because it was the month that two of the most well-known freedom seekers and Underground Railroad operatives, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, escaped from slavery.
Maryland governor Wes Moore proclaimed September 2024 as the sixth annual International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland with the words, “The heroes of the Underground Railroad continue to have an international impact even today, and many of the stories of the Freedom Seekers center in Maryland. International Underground Railroad Month is a way to encourage everyone to visit historical sites and attractions and take part in special events, so we can continue to commemorate the visionary freedom fighters, and the perils faced by enslaved people.”
The month celebrates the continuing impact and importance of the Underground Railroad in finding faith, family, and freedom. The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad for its contribution to the eradication of legal enslavement in the United States and as a cornerstone for the more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed.
A range of sites offer permanent Underground Railroad exhibits and experiences, including: the Josiah Henson Museum & Park, the Visit Hagerstown Underground Railroad Walking Tour, the Southern Maryland African American Heritage Guide, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Driving Tour, Maryland’s Frederick Douglass Driving Tour and Harriet Tubman Day at Button Farm on Blackrock Road in Germantown.
A full list of International Underground Railroad Month events, exhibits, and activities can be found at visitmaryland.org/international-underground-railroad-events. Or visit the Montgomery County African American Heritage sites.