The Underground Railroad's Tomato Trail.
Aunt Lou's Underground Railroad tomato is a rare example of a vegetable variety whose name references slavery or Black contributions to agriculture. Passed down from person to person, the tomato's story is still incomplete, but it illustrates the difficulty of constructing a more inclusive and accurate historical record. The global slave trade trafficked in plants as well as people, and enslaved Africans became the most important and involuntary farming workforce in the Americas. The connections between a common vegetable and slavery may not be obvious, but the act of gifting precious seeds is an age-old practice of kindness and community.