On the last day of my hike across Lancaster County en route to Christiana, an Amish farmer stopped to ask me what was I up to and where was I from. I explained I was walking to Christiana to commemorate the 170th anniversary of the Christiana resistance, and I was from Philadelphia. I asked him if he ever heard of the Christiana Resistance and he said “kinda,” as he pulled away in his horse drawn carriage breaking off the conversation.
I asked myself how do I explain that I was commemorating the lives of Black farmers in this area who resisted a posse trying to return them to slavery 170 years ago.
When I shared this post on Facebook, a very kind woman who expressed concern for my safety wrote to say “A person of color walking through rural areas around here may not be welcome, I’ve lived here for 20 years. it’s amazing and brave what you’re doing, be safe, and if you need anything I’d be happy to help.” I replied, “Thank you. I welcomed the farmer’s questions. He was the first to actually talk to me. Most others politely waved or ignored me.”
