“The Road to Dawn tells the story of a courageous man who pursued the common good in spite of painful wounds, discouraging setbacks, and personal flaws. Josiah’s winsome character and role within the broader abolitionist context keep us turning the page, as does Jared Brock’s fine storytelling about this American storyteller. And these stories remind us that we have much to learn from those who embody the message of justice and mercy, whatever their flaws or fortune may be.”
—Timothy B. Tyson, Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, author of The Blood of Emmett Till and Blood Done Sign My Name
“Finally, a biography worthy of the man. The Road to Dawn elevates Josiah Henson to his rightful place among important international liberators and frees him from the grip of ‘Uncle Tom.’ Black history, when properly told will transform your life and your thinking.”
—Cheryl Janifer LaRoche, PhD author of Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad
“The Road to Dawn expertly casts Josiah Henson’s heroic struggle for emancipation against the backdrop of a national fight for freedom, and in doing so, re-introduces a vital character to American history.”
—Jamie Glavic, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
“The Road to Dawn is a deeply moving and inspirational biography of a little-known Underground Railroad hero. Jared Brock does a fabulous job of bringing Josiah Henson to life. A must-read for everyone.”
—Janice Wilson, Charles County NAACP President
“Josiah Henson comes to life in Jared Brock’s ground-breaking biography on one of the most famous figures of the nineteenth century. The Road to Dawn will ensure that Henson’s story is never lost again.”
—Michael Nardolilli, Executive Director, Montgomery Parks Foundation
“Jared Brock’s remarkable The Road to Dawn is an important antidote to the sanitized (and very white) version of American emancipation and reconstruction. While the life of Josiah Henson was the inspiration for Uncle Tom’s Cabin, it was very much more than that. Henson was a liberator, leader, thinker, organizer, and prophet, and we should ask why he was displaced from his proper place in the history of abolition. Brock gives us a key to a crucial component of antislavery’s usable past, the unvarnished lessons that will help guide today’s efforts to bring slavery to an end.”
—Kevin Bales CMG, Pulitzer Prize–nominee and Professor of Contemporary Slavery at the University of Nottingham’s School of Politics and International Relations
“Harriet Tubman [and] Frederick Douglass are well known figures in the abolition of slavery. Josiah Henson was less known. Here was a man who had spent more than 40 years in slavery but promised to use his freedom well. He delivered on that promise. Jared A. Brock takes us through the life of a hero of the abolitionist era who overcame unspeakable pain and adversity to make an impact on his home country. A must read.”
—Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President of the Republic of Mauritius
“Authoritatively researched and meticulous in its detail, The Road to Dawn captures the fierce determination and undeniable presence of one of Canada’s extraordinary pioneers for freedom and social justice. Jared Brock’s passionate narration enhances Josiah Henson’s rightful place as a figure of national historic significance.”
—Steven Cook, Curator, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site
“Jared Brock brings to life the struggles and perseverance of a man almost forgotten in history. This well-researched book documents the life of Josiah Henson, whose experiences in Maryland, his escape to Canada, and his work on the Underground Railroad reveal a man of incredible fortitude and determination.”
—Maryland Senator Thomas M. Middleton
“The Road to Dawn re-introduces the world to a man whose life story fueled the abolition movement in 19th-century America. In doing so, Jared Brock issues a clarion call to readers to stand for the oppressed, right now as never before. His timing couldn’t be better.”
—Julia A. King, Professor of Anthropology at St. Mary’s College of Maryland
“Josiah Henson suffered more than forty years at the hands of unbelievable cruelty and violence, yet went on to impact the world in profoundly important ways. As a personal survivor of modern day slavery, I heartily endorse The Road to Dawn’s inspirational message of hope, justice, and reconciliation.”
—Toshia Shaw, Purple W.I.N.G.S
“Josiah Henson’s riveting life story challenges us to fight injustice and never despair. Thanks to The Road to Dawn, a local hero has finally re-appeared on the international stage.”
—Maryland Senator William C. Smith, Jr.
“I learned additional history of the fight for freedom by reading Jared Brock’s book, The Road to Dawn. I now know that Josiah Henson was a courageous trail blazer and a pioneer for our people seeking freedom in a new world into which they were enslaved.”
—Gerald A. Stansbury, Maryland State Conference NAACP President
“The Road to Dawn is an engaging and accessible biography of Josiah Henson, a forgotten hero of abolitionist history whose freedom narrative inspired Stowe’s internationally famous antislavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Brock has brought to light the powerful experiences which shaped Henson’s life and fight for freedom.”
—Beth Burgess, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
“The story of Josiah Henson is beyond fascinating… a must read in the telling of slave history, American history, and the interconnectedness of American, Canadian, and British links to slavery and freedom. Henson’s story is beyond the savagery of an institution that sought to maim, suppress, and even destroy a people, but about resistance, triumph and recovery. The Road to Dawn is able to capture that story through Josiah Henson’s trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumph from slavery to freedom. More importantly, The Road to Dawn separates myth from fact, the myth of ‘Uncle Tom’ and the reality of Josiah Henson and all that he accomplished, in slavery and in freedom. His story is worthy of being told.”
—Mamie E. Locke, Professor of Political Science at Hampton University