Detroit's Station Stop On Underground Railroad

03:45

August 25, 2015

Steps to the basement of the Second Baptist Church of Detroit where escaped slaves were hidden. While the street in front of the church is now Monroe, in the 1830s, the street name was Croghan. (Lester Graham/Michigan Radio)

Detroit played a prominent role in U.S. abolitionists' efforts to end slavery in the United States. It was one of the last stops on the Underground Railroad, a stopping point when slaves were on their way to be smuggled out of the country.

Lester Graham of Here & Now contributor Michigan Radio visits the Second Baptist Church, Michigan's oldest African-American church, where many slaves hid until they could make safe passage to Canada.

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Reporter

Lester Graham, investigative reporter at Michigan Watch, the investigative unit of Michigan Radio. He tweets @MichiganWatch.

This segment aired on August 25, 2015.