Polestar Images

The Polestar (Polaris) is the star that sits almost directly above the Earth’s North Pole. Because of this, it barely moves while other stars drift across the sky. No matter the season. No matter the hour. It always points north. That steadiness made it a natural compass. For enslaved Africans in the American South, north meant possibility: Northern states where slavery had been abolished Canada, where slavery was illegal Distance from plantations, patrols, and slave catchers Following the Polestar meant moving away from bondage, step by step, breath by breath.