An Iowa native who’s teaching history in a Nebraska high school is starting out today (Wednesday) in eastern Nebraska, planning to walk 500 miles through Iowa and on to Chicago to call attention to modern-day slavery.
That’s Barry Jurgensen (JER-gun-sun). Jurgensen and his high school students in Arlington, Nebraska, were inspired by the story of two female
Jurgensen says Eliza Grayson and a woman history remembers only as Celia (SEE-lee-uh) were slaves to a Virginia family that moved to Nebraska City, but the women were able to escape with help from people involved in the Underground Railroad. Jurgensen, who grew up in Denison, says he hopes his walk inspires people to do what they can today to help those who are trapped in the sex trade or in forced labor.
Jurgensen calls his project “Walk Forever Free” and he’ll be joined along the way by many of his high school students. Jurgensen is hoping to raise 50-dollars for every mile he walks. He’s raised seven-thousand dollars so far. The donations will go to the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives. It’s an international non-profit that fights modern-day slavery and human trafficking. On Saturday, June 11th, Jurgensen will be about a third of the way through his walk and he’ll speak about his experiences during an event at the State Historical Building in Des Moines.
