One thousand feet across the Ohio River lay Ripley, Ohio—and freedom. Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state, while Ohio remained free. Time and time again, John Parker, an ex-slave who had bought his own freedom, led Kentucky slaves across a thin stretch of river to Ohio, and safety. These dangerous journeys demanded a tremendous amount of courage, planning, and faith. Freedom River is based on a true story of one man’s determination to help an African American family escape from slavery along the legendary Underground Railroad.