Recently I came across a Twitter post of someone remembering the late, great, Mississippi John Hurt singing “You Got to Walk that Lonesome Valley.” When I first heard the song I was immediately drawn to the lyrics as I listened to Hurt repeat the line over and over. The song made me reflect on the many Lonesome Valleys I crossed this summer walking across New York to St. Catharines, Ontario. The Freedom Seekers who dared to self-emancipate themselves from the cruelty of slavery knew what it meant to Walk that Lonesome Valley. It’s more than a metaphor if you want a taste of freedom. No one can do it for you, but you.