On Saturday, July 10, 2021, the Association of Black Citizens of Lexington (ABCL) is hosting the first annual Quock Walker Day Hike for Freedom. This intergenerational event is an opportunity for Lexington residents and other friends of liberty to celebrate Massachusetts Emancipation Day while enjoying the sites along ACROSS Lexington Route M. ACROSS Lexington Route M is an approximately 3.3-mile looped trail. The event will start at 8 am at Bowman Elementary School, 9 Philip Rd, Lexington, MA 02421.
Quock Walker Day (also known as Massachusetts Emancipation Day) celebrates a historic court case won in 1783 by Quock Walker, a self-emancipated man who sued his enslaver for assault and battery. In winning the case, Chief Justice William Cushing not only granted Walker compensation, but also the assurance that slavery was incompatible with the state constitution.
Participants may register online and in person between 7:30 and 9 am on July 10. We encourage participants to register online by July 6, 2021, to guarantee receipt of a commemorative t-shirt.
ACROSS Lexington, a project of the Greenways Corridor Committee, is a network of marked trails and paths for walkers, runners, and trail bikers. ABCL requests that participants practice “leave no trace” ethics by leaving the land in equal or better condition than you found it. Participants are requested to remove and properly dispose of any waste that you generate.
Participants are responsible for bringing and using activity-appropriate equipment, (insect repellant, proper footwear, sufficient water, etc.), and for carrying the proper clothing (hat, rain gear, etc.). Ticks and mosquitoes may be encountered along the trail.
Participants will have an opportunity to take a picture with the Quock Walker banner which is part of the Black History Project of Lexington. Please upload photos of your experiences during Quock Walker Day Hike for Freedom on social media, #QWDHike4Freedom.
The Quock Walker Day Hike for Freedom is sponsored by Five Fields Real Estate – COMPASS.