AN UNDERGROUND NETWORK LIGHTING A PATH TO FREEDOM.
The freedom stairway is 100 steps leading from the Ohio River to the Rankin house in Ripley, Ohio, a station on the Underground Railroad.
In 1829, John Rankin built this brick house overlooking the Ohio River above Ripley, and at night the Rankins kept a lighted lantern in the window to serve as a beacon to guide runaway slaves across the river and up the hillside to safety.
A lantern, quilts and certain songs were signals used at the safe houses all along the Underground Railroad to indicate that it was safe for freedom seekers to approach the house. Rankin’s house was one of the most known houses that housed hundreds of slaves.
The partners and supporters of The Lantern Network are carrying today’s lanterns that will guide our young people of color to a life of new freedoms through mentoring and life-skills training that will INSPIRE them to move from where they are to a better place, GUIDE them to economic freedom, and PROPEL them to achieve their goals.
