Michael Bowerman, of Lancaster, is a passionate advocate for people around the world who are victimized by what he calls violent injustices, including sex trafficking, bonded slavery and illegal land seizures.
Bowerman was one of 15 people who participated in a five-week bicycle ride that began June 26 in Mobile, Ala., stopping in several cities, where they raised funds to combat and promote awareness of these and other types of injustices consider “modern-day slavery” by human rights advocates.
Their 1,800-mile journey, sponsored by International Justice Missions of Washington, D.C., took them on a route that followed the historic Underground Railroad used by 19th century African-American slaves fleeing north to freedom. Often, the terminus point was Buffalo.
The Queen City also was the end of the journey for Bowerman and the other cyclists who gathered in the Town Ballroom, 681 Main St., for a celebration of their trek.
“We spoke in churches, slept in churches, raised funds and awareness inside the churches. So in each major city, from Mobile to Birmingham, Ala., to Nashville, Tenn., to Louisville, Ky. to Cincinnati, Ohio, to Columbus, Ohio, to Cleveland, Ohio, to Erie, Pa., and now to Buffalo, we did events like this,” Bowerman said.
“The riders look at themselves as modern-day abolitionists. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing,” he added.
Like the events in other cities, Friday’s celebration was mainly aimed at promoting awareness of the issue, said Amy E. Roth of International Justice Mission.
“We organized and supported all of the events in these cities, which are very important, like the one tonight, which is, in fact, to really raise awareness of what it is we’re doing. Because we could have gone through cities as 15 riders, but we would have gone unnoticed,”
“We wanted this to be a symbolic journey, but also a new way of making real the issue of modern-day slavery. So, tonight we’re here to celebrate having traveled 1,800 miles over five weeks.”
Friday’s event included a free concert by the band Green River Ordinance. Roth noted that the band has toured with the Goo Goo Dolls and “used their music as a pulpit to talk about modern day slavery. They, themselves, are known as modern-day abolitionists.”
Also performing was Enric Sifa, a singer/songwriter from the African nation of Rwanda. Sifa is also a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, in which many of his relatives died. Sifa’s mother was also a victim of an illegal land seizure after the genocide.
According to literature distributed by International Justice Missions and Venture Expeditions, a faith-based human rights advocacy group also based in D. C., 30 percent of widows and orphans in sub-Saharan Africa have their homes and property stolen from them when they are most vulnerable.
Activists’ trek ends in Buffalo - The Buffalo News
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