“Bringing the Gifts that My Ancestors Gave, I am the Dream and the Hope of the Slave” Maya Angelou

In our collective American story, the basic human experience of hope connects us all. Hope is truly future-focused. In anticipation and jubilee when the day of freedom would come to the enslaved in East Tennessee on August 8, 1863, to years later on June 19, 1865(Juneteenth) when their enslaved brothers and sisters in Texas finally received the news of emancipation, we recognize the spirit of hope. The Freedom Day, Journey of Hope Tour highlights significant sites of the African American experience from slavery to Freedom in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Enjoy and See the East Tennessee Secret City from a Different Perspective. This self-guided tour includes some easy to moderate hiking, depending on skill level. Please observe all signage and operating hours.