“What if we actually embrace a moment of curiosity about each other and imagine that the future is awaiting, rather than that it’s already behind us somehow?” Esther Tishman asks. Tishman is the founder of Liberty Walks, a movement that started here in Eugene and on July 4 will be embarking on a cross-nation walk to Washington, D.C.
The goal of Liberty Walks is to meet people where they are and open up to conversations about connection, compassion and love for one another as human beings. “I knew at some point it might be necessary to put everything on hold and do something big,” Tishman says.
Tishman describes herself as a Zen Buddhist teacher and a spiritualist. She is a former associate professor of English and comparative literature and served as a dean of undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon. She also worked as a chaplain at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center for six years. “The COVID pandemic really helped me see how I could be with people who really don’t agree with me, because a lot of the people that I was helping as a chaplain during COVID were COVID deniers and were anti-vaxxers,” Tishman says, “I think if I hadn’t had that experience, I might not see how it’s possible to walk across all the divides, much less the Continental Divide.”
Tishman says to her, the walk is not a political journey, but a spiritual one. The walk, mapped by geographer Dave Imus, will take place on mostly flat ground to ensure accessibility to all who are able and willing to undertake such a feat. It is split into chunks from Eugene to D.C. that are spelled out — along with the dates on the Liberty Walks website, LibertyWalks.org.
Dennis Galvan, a professor of political science and global studies at the University of Oregon and Tishman’s close friend says, “A part of what this is about is getting below the social media sphere, getting away from the noise, getting away from the screens, and just being on the ground actually talking to people.”
Galvan will be joining Tishman for a portion of the almost 3,000-mile walk. Galvan says he’s dedicated to supporting Tishman and raising awareness for what he thinks is an important, direct action approach to bring people closer during a time of such division.
Liberty Walks gathers every Saturday at noon for practice walks to prepare for the walk across the country. During these practice walks, participants chat about the state of the country, their plans for the future and how they can help support Tishman in her journey. So far, around 40 people have expressed willingness to participate in at least some of the cross-country trek, and Tishman is looking for more. “It’s crazy to walk across the country; that’s a crazy response to this,” she says, “It just happens to be my response, and maybe it’s for others as well.”
Tishman says she hopes to have a camper van that will be “both providing relief and doing scouting and also doing some of that logistical work along the way.”
As Liberty Walks continues planning its trip, Galvan says he hopes the walk can “remind people of what it means to be connected as Americans, what we have in common, the land, the idea of the country.”
Visit LibertyWalks.org/join-us to learn how to join Liberty Walks in their walk across the United States, or email Esther Tishman at Esty@libertywalks.org with questions.