The Tower of Freedom monument features four life-size bronze figures on the south side of a granite monolith: Two women with a baby and a man standing behind with his arms outstretched in praise. On the north side of the monolith, a young girl holds a rag doll and looks back across the river (to Detroit).
The other monument in Detroit depicts the Gateway to Freedom, which features a bronze sculpture of six slaves awaiting transport to Canada.
In a speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1967, he mentioned that African-Americans in slavery often called Canada "Heaven." It was a code name used by people who were part of the Underground Railroad.