^{Friends of Justice} 

Black slaves who risked their lives as conductors and lookouts to aide fugitives were extremely important to the success of operation of the Underground Railroad.

 

Slaves risked their own lives and their families to guide the runaway through unfamiliar terrain in the dark and early morning hours.

 

In Mason County Arnold Gragston was a local conductor and also a slave. 

His work and the work of others who were "friends of justice" will never be fogotten. As both conductor for the underground railroad and as a slave from Mason County, Gragston recounts his experiences and work with UGRR in his oral history, recorded by the Works Progress Administration.

Read his narrative or the oral histories of other slaves by visiting onine the Library of Congress website. WPA Narratives provide a wealth of historic details and information about the day to day and personal life experiences of former slaves.

 

^{the Rev. John Rankin, Presbyterian minister and abolitionist leader, provides significant insight to the philosophy of the "then" anti-slavery activist. His plea was made to "friends of justice", whites and free blacks that believed slavery was immoral and unjust.  "Suffering humanity" references not only whites, and free blacks but the slaves who risked their lives as well, to serve as conductors for the UGRR. The efforts of every individual - regardless of race, creed, color or class - would eventually destroy slavery. Before the Civil Rights era, before the blood had been shed during the Civil War, Rankin and his supporters in the "Borderland" were supported a community of truth - believers of equality - freedom fighters for liberty and justice for all.} 

Rankin House - National Underground Railroad to Freedom Network