Saturday, February 05, 2005

Jimarcus Highlights Harriet Tubman for Black History Month

Jimarcus: I am going to focus on Harriet Tubman who is often called the Moses of the people because of her Underground Railroad work.
In 1819 or 1820 Harriet Tubman was born a fighter but seen only as a slave. As a young girl she refused to help tie up a slave and she was hit in the head resulting in an injury that would cause her pain all her life.
She married a free black man at 25 but still feared for her own freedom. She escaped Canada. Escaping took great bravery and planning. She had assistance from friends in finding safe houses.
St. Catharines in Canada became her home and where she'd do work for the Underground Railroad. She returned to Maryland to bring family members to freedom and she would bring at least 300 additional people to freedom.
During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman served the north as a nurse and as a spy. After the Civil War, Harriet Tubman moved to Auburn, New York where she would work on women's rights and start a home for the poor and elderly.
When she died in 1935 she received a funeral with military honors at Fort Hill Cemetary.
Born a fighter, called a slave, Harriet Tubman proved that with help from others, grace and determination we can overcome many obstacles.