September 26, 2023, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China:Tourists view pink muhlygrass in full bloom in a town north of Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

September 25, 2023, Gaza, Palestine: (EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts death) Funeral for 18-year-old Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, Palestine.

September 25, 2023, Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile: A woman walks at dusk in the city of Santiago, Chile, on the third day of spring.

September 25, 2023, Rome, Italy: LINO GUANCIALE (l) and ANTONELLA LIUZZI (r) attend the photocall of Sky series 'Un'estate fa' at Ripa Grande.

September 25, 2023, Paris France: American singer, songwriter, and dancer USHER performs at La Seine Musicale concert hall in Paris, France.

September 25, 2023, Paris, France: IRIS MITTENAERE, 30,, French model, television host, and Miss Universe 2016, attends the Pierre Cardin Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week.

September 25, 2023, Tokyo, Japan: Japan's MAI HONTAMA returns the ball against her compatriot N. Hibino during the first round match of the Toray Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament at the Ariake Colosseum in Tokyo. Hontama won 6:2, 6:4.

September 25, 2023, Hangzhou, China: MOMO TAMAOKI (JPN, Blue) competes against EUNSONG PARK (KOR) during their Judo Women's Individual -57kg Semi-final at Xiaoshan Linpu Gymnasium during the 2022 China Hangzhou Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. Tamaoki won and advanced to the finals.

September 25, 2023, Ningbo, China: MIZOE SAYAKA of Japan celebrates during Beach Volleyball Women's Quarterfinal match between Ishii Miki/Mizoe Sayaka of Japan and Floremel Rodriguez/Genesa Jane Eslapor of Philippines at the 19th Asian Games in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province.

zReportage.com Issue #906 Story of the Week: Published TUESDAY, September 19, 2023: 'UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: Freedom Seekers Descendants ' Pictures by ZUMA Press represented Chicago Tribune's photographer Terrence Antonio James: Over the past eight months, the Chicago Tribune writers Darcel Rockett and Tina E. Akouris embarked on an in-depth examination of the journeys through Illinois of enslaved people who sought better lives for themselves. They visited the state's Underground Railroad sites that aided in their escape, spoken to descendants of those freedom seekers. The resulting series depicts what life was like during a time when thousands of people made this pilgrimage in the hopes of finding freedom, and how their history ripples into the present day. Photographs with this story by Terrence Antonio James were made using an iPhone tintype filter. Welcome to: 'UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: Freedom Seekers Descendants'

Even though Illinois was a free state, it was far from being a safe or welcoming place for slaves. The state's Black Laws denied African Americans most fundamental freedoms and the Fugitive Slave Act required residents to return runaway slaves to their owners. Slave catchers roamed many areas, hoping to capture slaves and return them to their owners for a reward. This meant slaves had to travel through Illinois discretely, usually under the cover of darkness. They would go from safe house to safe house - a path to freedom that came to be known as the Underground Railroad.

September 10, 2023, Gurnee, Illinois, USA: LEANNA MCGEE stands at The Mother Rudd Barn, a site believed to be connected to the Underground Railroad, in Gurnee. McGee is a descendant of William Donnegan, who was a shoemaker who aided freedom seekers crossing through Illinois. From the onset of statehood in 1818 and into the Civil War years, more than 8,000 freedom seekers moved into and through Illinois. Historians estimate that 35,000 to 45,000 persons found freedom in Canada through the Underground Railroad.