NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON! The Frederick Douglass Memorial The Frederick Douglass Memorial, in Easton, Maryland, will be the first formal monument in the region where Frederick Douglass was born and raised into a life of slavery…and returned a hero. A nation-wide competition was conducted to select a design for this memorial honoring the great 19th-Century African-American abolitionist-statesman.  The monument will be erected on the front lawn of the Talbot County Courthouse in Easton, Maryland. more     Charter school in tough neighborhood gets all its seniors into college Urban Prep Academy senior Keith Greer, along with his classmates, celebrates the news they will receive a free prom in Chicago because 100 percent of the graduating class was accepted into 4-year colleges or universities. (Tribune photo by Heather Charles / March 5, 2010) The entire senior class at Chicago's only public all-male, all-African-American high school has been accepted to four-year colleges. At last count, the 107 seniors had earned spots at 72 schools across the nation. Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Public Schools chief Ron Huberman surprised students at an all-school assembly at Urban Prep Academy for Young Men in Englewood this morning to congratulate them. It's the first graduating class at Urban Prep since it opened its doors in 2006. Huber man applauded the seniors for making CPS shine. "All of you in the senior class have shown that what matters is perseverance, what matters is focus, what matters is having a dream and following that dream," Huberman said. The school enforces a strict uniform of black blazers, khaki pants and red ties -- with one exception. After a student receives the news he was accepted into college, he swaps his red tie for a red and gold one at an assembly. The last 13 students received their college ties today, to thunderous applause. Ask Rayvaughn Hines what college he was accepted to and he'll answer with a question. "Do you want me to name them all?" For the 18-year-old from Back of the Yards, college was merely a concept--never a goal--growing up. Even within the last three years, he questioned if school, let alone college, was for him. Now, the senior is headed to the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga. next fall. Hines remembers the moment he put on his red and gold tie. "I wanted to take my time because I was just so proud of myself," he said. "I wanted everyone to see me put it on." The achievement might not merit a mayoral visit at one of the city's elite, selective enrollment high schools. But Urban Prep, a charter school that enrolls using a lottery in one of the city's more troubled neighborhoods, faced difficult odds. Only 4 percent of this year's senior class read at grade level as freshmen, according to Tim King, the school's CEO. "I never had a doubt that we would achieve this goal," King said. "Every single person we hired knew from the day one that this is what we do: We get our kids into college." College is omnipresent at the school. Before the students begin their freshman year, they take a field trip to Northwestern University. Every student is assigned a college counselor the day he steps foot in the school. The school offers an extended day--170,000 more minutes over four years compared to its counterparts across the city--and more than double the number of English credits usually needed to graduate. Even the school's voicemail has a student declaring "I am college bound" before it asks callers to dial an extension. Normally, it takes senior Jerry Hinds two buses and 45 minutes to get home from school. On Dec. 11, the day University of Illinois at Champaign- Urbana was to post his admission decisions online at 5 p.m., he asked a friend to drive him home. He went into his bedroom, told his well-wishing mother this was something he had to do alone, closed the door and logged in. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" he remembers screaming. His mother, who didn't dare stray far, burst in and began crying. That night he made more than 30 phone calls, at times shouting "I got in" on his cell phone and home phone at the same time. "We're breaking barriers," he said. "And that feels great."  www.urbanprep.org Copyright (c) 2010, Chicago Tribune     SRES 455 ATS 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 455 Honoring the life, heroism, and service of Harriet Tubman. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 15, 2010 Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. SPECTER, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. CARDIN, and Mr. LEVIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring the life, heroism, and service of Harriet Tubman. Whereas Harriet Ross Tubman was born into slavery as Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, Maryland, in or around 1820; Whereas in 1849, Ms. Tubman bravely escaped to freedom, traveling alone for approximately 90 miles to Pennsylvania; Whereas, after escaping slavery, Ms. Tubman participated in the Underground Railroad, a network of routes, people, and houses that helped slaves escape to freedom; Whereas Ms. Tubman became a `conductor' on the Underground Railroad, courageously leading approximately 19 expeditions to help more than 300 slaves to freedom; Whereas Ms. Tubman served as a spy, nurse, scout, and cook during the Civil War; Whereas during her service in the Civil War, Ms. Tubman became the first woman in the United States to plan and lead a military expedition, which resulted in successfully freeing more than 700 slaves; Whereas after the Civil War, Ms. Tubman continued to fight for justice and equality, including equal rights for African-Americans and women; Whereas Ms. Tubman died on March 10, 1913, in Auburn, New York; and Whereas the heroic life of Ms. Tubman continues to serve as an inspiration to the people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate-- (1) honors the life and courageous heroism of Harriet Tubman; (2) recognizes the great contributions made by Harriet Tubman throughout her lifelong service and commitment to liberty, justice, and equality for all; and (3) encourages the people of the United States to remember the courageous life of Harriet Tubman, a true hero.   Passed with Unanimous Consent of the U.S. Senate 3/15/2010 Mikulski Announces Funds for Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Dorchester County-05/03/2010     Obama Honors Washington, DC Emancipation Day A new addition to the Oval Office: An original copy of Abraham Lincoln's other emancipation proclamation, the one that freed the slaves of Washington, D.C., on this day in 1862, nine months before issuing the same order for other parts of the country. "We remain forever grateful as a nation for the struggles and sacrifices of those Americans who made that emancipation possible," Obama said in a statement honoring D.C. Emancipation Day. Obama also used the occasion to advocate statehood rights for Washington, D.C., noting that city residents "pay federal taxes and serve honorably in our armed services," but do not have votes in the U.S. House or Senate. "And so I urge Congress to finally pass legislation that provides D.C. residents with voting representation and to take steps to improve the Home Rule Charter," Obama said. By Pete Souza, The White House (Posted by David Jackson): http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/04/obama-honors-washington-dcemancipation-day/1 White House Office of the Press Secretary ------------------------------ For Immediate Release April 16, 2010 Statement by the President On this occasion, we remember the day in 1862 when President Lincoln freed the enslaved people of Washington, DC – nine months before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. I am proud that an original copy of that document now hangs in the Oval Office, and we remain forever grateful as a nation for the struggles and sacrifices of those Americans who made that emancipation possible. Americans from all walks of life are gathering in Washington today to remind members of Congress that although DC residents pay federal taxes and serve honorably in our armed services, they do not have a vote in Congress or full autonomy over local issues. And so I urge Congress to finally pass legislation that provides DC residents with voting representation and to take steps to improve the Home Rule Charter. President Abraham Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Emancipation Act into law on April 16, 1862. The Act ended slavery in the nation's capital, freeing some 3,100 enslaved persons, and is the only example in which the Federal Government compensated slaveholders for the enslaved persons they once held.   Mrs. Loretta Carter Hanes, an educator, researcher and the president of DC Reading Is Fundamental, Inc., researched, initiated and spearheaded the revival of the District of Columbia Emancipation Commemoration. Since 1991, Mrs. Hanes and DC Reading Is Fundamental, along with her son Peter and Historians C.R. Gibbs and Vincent deForest, have organized annual DC Emancipation Commemoration public educational programs. Her untiring efforts arose to the attention of community groups like the United Black Fund, historic churches such as the All Souls Church Unitarian and Asbury United Methodist Church, and local and Federal Government officials, including the U.S. National Archives, U.S. National Park Service and Members of the U.S. Congress. Mrs. Hanes inspired these and other organizations and individuals to mark the DC Emancipation Act with annual educational and celebratory events across the nation's capital. Such combined advocacy for this watershed event in our nation's history led then DC Mayor Anthony Williams to sign into law in 2005 that each April 16th thereafter would be Emancipation Day, a public legal holiday.   Enslavement to Emancipation, a new Government of the District of Columbia documentary film, covers the history of Washington, DC, from enslavement to emancipation to civil rights to voting rights, in the context of United States history (run time: 60 minutes). The free online documentary includes historic documents, images, video and dramatic readings and interviews of various experts that combine to provide a compelling portrait of the history of the nation's capital. [The online video is best viewed in Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or Mozilla Firefox 3.6 or better]. To view the free video, visit: http://os.dc.gov/os/cwp/view,a,1207,q,643856.asp Related Educational Resources    Katie Washington is Notre Dame's first black valedictorian History is being made at the University of Notre Dame this spring. In the 161 years the University of Notre Dame has been awarding degrees, never had there been an African-American as valedictorian. Until this year. She's Katie Washington of Gary, Indiana. She carries a 4.0 GPA majoring in biology and minoring in Catholic social teaching. According to the Northwest Indiana Times, Washington plans to continue her studies at Johns Hopkins University and follow in her father's footsteps into medicine. more   Tubman sculpture to grace BME church garden When Ada Summer finally got a chance to see the sculpture of the legendary Underground Railroad conductor that will soon be installed outside of her church, it was everything she could have hoped for. The British Methodist Episcopal Church trustee and treasurer Ada Summer had heard local artist Frank Rekrut was creating a bust of Harriet Tubman to be displayed in the church’s commemorative garden.   As it neared completion, Summer was invited to see the work in progress. She wasn’t disappointed. “It sent shivers up my spine,” she said. Tubman sculpture to grace BME church garden. British Methodist Episcopal Church trustee and treasurer Ada Summer gets a close look at the nearlycompleted sculpture of Harriet Tubman, being created for the church’s commemorative garden by artist Frank Rekrut. The clay sculpture is based on a rare photograph of Tubman, taken from the approximate time period she was a member of the St. Catharines church. Summer said she loves how it appears the woman is about to speak. “It’s exactly like it is in the picture,” she said. “It looks so realistic.” Summer added she showed photos of the sculpture to members of the church, who were in “awe” of what they saw. Just how the sculpture came to be created for the church is something of a story in itself. Last fall, the St. Catharines green committee, working with donations of time and materials from local businesses, created a garden outside the Geneva Street church. Meant to be a place of quiet contemplation, the garden was also designed to show the proper respect for the church, the first and only federally designated historical site in the city. While wonderfully preserved on the inside, complete with many of the original wooden pews, the outside of the church had until recently left much to be desired. On a busy urban street and blocked by billboards on the north side, the church was often overlooked. After the installation of the garden by local firm Eco Landscape Design, green committee members Peter Thompstone and Donna Van Weenen expressed their vision for a complete garden, one that included benches, wooden fencing at the back of the property, and a sculpture of Tubman. Since then, donations have kept on coming. At the same time, Rekrut, who had recently returned with his wife, Laura Thompson, from Florence, Italy, was working on a sculpture. Rekrut, who has a Geneva Street workshop where he creates cast stone fireplaces, had just started taking up this type of work. Originally planning to create a sculpture of a European cardinal, he wanted to take on a project with more local significance and thought of the church down the road. It was while in the middle of production that Thompson showed him a newspaper article about the garden and the dream of a statue. “It just so happened we had a half-done bust of Harriet Tubman,” Thompson said. “It all worked out.” Van Weenan said an anonymous donor, a local woman with ties to the American south, gave a substantial amount to pay for the materials, a base and a black granite pedestal being provided at a discount by Kirkpatrick Monuments. “What Frank and the donors have done is amazing,” she said. “Wonderful, generous people in this city, and when they see a need, they filled it.” Rekrut figures he’s spent about 60 hours of his off-time working on the sculpture, explaining it was somewhat difficult to create a three-dimensional work basing it on a single flat photo. “You just keep working on it until she tells you you’re done, and then you’re done,” he said. Once the clay model is finished, it will be covered in a rubber molding, which will be carefully peeled off to retain the shape and filled with cement. The aim is to have the bust installed by the end of April. Van Weenan said an agreement has been worked out between the billboard company and the city to take them away from the church, so they no longer block the view from the north. The billboards will be placed elsewhere in the city. www.niagarathisweek.com   In honor of Harriet Tubman St. Catharines served as a haven for those fleeing slavery in U.S. With hundreds of organizations taking part across North America and Great Britain, members and guests of the British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel, stood in unison on Sunday, March 7 to begin their service and celebration of the 20th anniversary of Harriet Tubman Day that was proclaimed on March 10, 1990 by Mayor Joseph L. McCaffery. In McCaffery’s words, “Whereas the City of St. Catharines was the last station in Harriet Tubman’s journey north, and served as a haven for the hundreds of blacks who remained in this area to become an important part of the social fabric of our community; and Whereas the British Methodist Episcopal Church at 92 Geneva Street was the place of worship and the source of strength and encouragement for Harriet Tubman and her people and continues today to be a place of worship and a repository of black culture and heritage for many of their descendents.” A unique cultural heritage, and the only National Historic site in the City of St. Catharines, Salem Chapel was erected in 1855. The small white wooden framed structure was host to about 100 people who came to honour Harriet Ross Tubman and the memory of a woman of international importance. Traditional gospels such as ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ and a performance by the Salem Chapel Youth Trio of‘God Has Smiled On Me’ were part the festivities on the humble and historical site. In honour of Harriet Tubman. Brother Holmes Smith, senior trustee of Salem Chapel, has served the BME Church for 40 years and took part in the service commemorating Harriet Tubman Day of March 10 with congregation members and guests. Regarded as ‘The Black Moses’ by her people, Tubman helped more than 300 slaves make their way out of bondage to a land of freedom. Only five foot two and a mere 130 pounds she was enslaved since the age of five and managed to escape when she was 29 years old to Shipman’s Corners, later-day St. Catharines. “Abolitionists requested her presence at anti-slavery rallies and Southern slaveholders wanted her captured dead or alive,” said Rochelle Bush, historical director of Salem Chapel. While living in St. Catharines, Tubman became a master of disguise during her courageous trips back to the south to help other fugitive slaves make their way to British soil. Through a pathway of compassionate people, the Underground Railroad was a vast network stretching from the Mason-Dixon Line in the United States to Canada. “Today, Harriet Tubman is heralded as the iconic figure of the Underground Railroad and we are grateful that she settled here in St. Catharines and chose this church as her place of worship, “ said Bush. “To many African-Americans, the Salem Chapel is hallowed ground.” www.niagarathisweek.com Smithsonian Receives Rare Harriet Tubman Items more     Smithsonian 3/10/2010 News Release Harriet Tubman Collection Unveiled by National Museum of African American History and Culture Harriet Tubman (ca. 1822-1913), was an abolitionist, Underground Railroad conductor, U.S. Civil War nurse, scout, and spy, women’s suffragist, and humanitarian. She was a shero and daughter of both the USA and Canada. The Salem Chapel British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church, in Saint  Catharines, Ontario, was associated with abolitionist activity and it was also Tubman’s church. The Government of Canada designated the church as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2000. The Government of Canada also designated Tubman as a National Historic Person of Canada in 2005 (The plaque dedication program has not yet taken place) (See the Parks Canada Black Heritage Portal at http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/culture/mhn-bhm/index.aspx )  Related U.S. Congressional Bill-S.227 Harriet Tubman National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Act. When this bill is signed into law by President Obama, it would create two National Historical Parks, one in Maryland, Tubman’s birth state, and the other in Auburn, NY, where Tubman lived in her later years, that includes her home, the home for elderly Blacks that she founded, a neighboring cemetery where she is interred, and the nearby church where she worshipped (See the National Park Service Harriet Tubman Special Resource Study with weblinks to Bill S.227 at http://www.harriettubmanstudy.org/ ).  Harriet Tubman Day Harriet Tubman passed away on March 10, 1913. Harriet Tubman Day is commemorated annually on March 10th, in several states, including Maryland, Delaware, New York, and the City of Saint Catharines, Ontario, Canada. March 10, 2013 will mark the 100th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s passing and the State of Maryland is already looking toward that centennial. Lou Fields the Maryland Statewide Coordinator for Harriet Tubman Day.  Vince, Vivian, Dr. Blockson and I are collaborating to encourage international (Canada-USA) recognition of Harriet Tubman’s legacy. Regards, Peter Hanes Washington Post 3/10/2010 Page C01 Smithsonian Gets 39 Harriet Tubman Artifacts http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/10/AR2010031003451.html  Blockson Collection celebrates Women’s History Month Thursday, March 12, 2009 CONTACT: Denise Clay <denise.clay@temple.edu> 215-204-6522 A hymn book owned by Harriet Tubman, abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad, was among the artifacts displayed as part of the Women’s History Month celebration held at the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection on March 5. The Blockson Collection displayed the artifacts — which included a shawl given to Tubman by Queen Victoria of England, a memorial program from her funeral and other collectables — as part of its yearly homage to notable African American women. This year’s honorees were: City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell; author and Photo by Ryan S. Brandenberg/Temple University A hymn book owned by Harriet Tubman educator Marie T. Bogle; Odunde Festival founder Lois Fernandez; television news pioneer Trudy Haines; Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Annette John-Hall; founder and president of the American Women’s History Museum Audrey Johnson-Thornton; philanthropist Beverly Lomax; and Willa Ward-Royster, last remaining member of the gospel group the Clara Ward Singers. Poet and publisher for Third World Press Haki Madhubuti performed several poems as part of the festivities, which were broadcast live on WURD 990-AM and hosted by the station’s programming director, Thera Martin Connelly.           http://www.temple.edu/newsroom/2008_2009/03/stories/blockson_whm.htm Keeping Stories Alive Experts and uncles, historians and teens share tales of the Underground Railroad Read More   10th Annual State of Maryland Harriet Ross Tubman [March 10th] Day of Remembrance Harriet Tubman & Friends of the UGRR: Finding Freedom Through Faith February 21 - March 31, 2010   Wed, March 10  [9am-3pm] Award Presentation to Del. Adrienne Jones 10am MD House of Delegates, 12 noon, Baltimore County Delegation Room # 108, Annapolis, Anne Arundel County Fri, March 12 Phila, PA Sat, March 20 [1pm-3pm] Emmart-Pierpont Safehouse 3523 Rolling Road, Baltimore County     Sat, April 10  [1pm-3pm] Cooling Springs Farm on the UGRR Adamstown, MD Frederick County Wed, April 15th  [1pm-3pm] Kent County Historical Society Chestertown, MD Kent County June 10   [1pm-3pm] Howard County Center for African American Culture Columbia, MD Howard County                                       * additional dates are being added Sponsors MD - DBED, MD Office of Tourism Development African American Tourism Council of MD, Inc Baltimore Black Heritage Tours The Power Magazine AFRICAN AMERICAN TOURISM COUNCIL OF MD INC, Post Office 3014    Baltimore, MD 21229-0014  Tel: (443) 983-7974 E-mail: aatcofmd@gmail.com   LC Fields, President 2010 Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award presented to: Delegate Adrienne Jones Maryland House of Delegates, State of Maryland   Theme: Harriet Tubman & Friends of the UGRR: Finding Freedom through Faith".    March 10th, 2010 marks the 97th anniversary of Harriet Tubman's passing as well as the 10th anniversary of the African American Tourism Council's hosting the annual State of Maryland Harriet Ross Tubman Day.   In March 2000, the Maryland General Assembly at the Council's request enacted legislation designating March 10th annually as Harriet Tubman Day of Remembrance in the State of Maryland.  As a result of Harriet's birth date being unknown March 10th was chosen since it was the date Harriet passed in 1913.   The 2010 Tubman Day theme is "Harriet Tubman & Friends of the UGRR: Finding Freedom through Faith".  We will explore the role of Maryland's faith community in aiding freedom-seekers on the Underground Railroad.  As part of the statewide Tubman Day programs, a deserving individual is selected to receive the annual Harriet Tubman Award.  I am pleased to announce that Delegate Adrienne Jones has been selected as the recipient of the 2010 Harriet Ross Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award.  The award will be presented at the Maryland General Assembly on March 10th, 2010.   Delegate Jones' selection is based on her 30 years of service as an effective and trusted member of the Baltimore County government, and many years of competent and dedicated service to your constituents as a member of the Maryland General Assembly, for her efforts in founding the Baltimore County African American Heritage Festival and supporting the documentation, preservation and promotion of historic sites.    Additionally, her service as a mentor, an advocate for human rights, public safety, fair practices for minority businesses, worker rights, victims rights, family and children services, higher education, the preservation of Maryland history and historical sites, and her volunteer service she have provided to your community, church and organizations are in the spirit of the life and legacy work of Harriet Ross Tubman.    The 2010 Tubman Day programs will be held throughout 2010 in the State of Maryland in public schools, libraries, churches, senior centers, historic sites and other venues.  A copy of Governor Martin O'Malley's 2010 Tubman Day proclamation will be presented at the beginning of each Tubman Day program.  Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin have confirmed their attendance at one of the events to discuss the federal Harriet Tubman initiatives they are presently working on behalf of the State of Maryland.  For a full list of Tubman Day UGRR events, please send an email to me at the address below.   Louis C. Fields, MD Statewide Coordinator 10th Annual State of Maryland Harriet Ross Tubman Day of Remembrance Te: 443.983.7974 Email: loucfields@gmail.com   WBOC  16  DelMarva's News Leader  Salisbury/Dover/Milton Tubman Park Gets Nearly $1.2M From Park Service Posted: Sep 14, 2009 11:33 AM EDT   Harriet Tubman was born in Dorchester County, where she spent nearly 30 years as a slave before escaping in 1849.   BALTIMORE- A $1,191,312 National Park Service grant will help develop outdoor recreation facilities in Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Dorchester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Sens. Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski and Rep. Frank Kratovil announced the grant from the park service's Land and Water Conservation Fund on Monday. "Born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Dorchester County, Harriet Tubman left an indelible mark on history as the 'conductor' of the Underground Railroad, a suffragist, and humanitarian, yet, the places associated with her life and work are not well known," Kratovil said.  "Establishing Dorchester County's first state park as a way of honoring her contributions to American history is not only a respectful way to honor a woman whose commitment to the rights of others was unmatched, but it serves as a meaningful method of preserving our environment, protecting wildlife, and passing a historical legacy onto our children and future generations." Maryland expects to begin site development at the 17-acre site in December 2010 with completion expected approximately a year later. Tubman was born in Dorchester County, where she spent nearly 30 years as a slave before escaping in 1849. She later led hundreds of slaves to freedom as part of the anti-slavery resistance network known as the Underground Railroad. Earlier this week, Cardin, Mikulski and Kratovil announced an 823-acre addition to the adjacent Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Senators Cardin & Mikulski Introduce Bill in 111th Congress To Honor Harriet Tubman's Life  (download pdf)

THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE

SARAH BRADFORD 

Letter from Frederick Douglass. 
ROCHESTER, August 29, 1868

DEAR HARRIET: I am glad to know that the story of your eventful life has been written by  a kind lady, and that the same is soon to be published. You ask for what you do not need when you call upon me for a word of commendation.  I need such words from you far more than you can need them from me, especially where your superior labors and devotion to the cause of the lately enslaved of our land are known as I know them. The difference between us is very marked. Most that I have done and suffered in the service of our cause has been in public, and I have received much encouragement at every step of the way. You, on the other hand, have labored in a private way. I have wrought in the day—you in the night. I have had the applause of the crowd and the satisfaction that comes of being approved by the multitude, while the most that you have done has been witnessed by a few trembling, scarred, and foot-sore bondmen and women, whom you have led out of the house of bondage, and whose heartfelt “God bless you” has been your only reward. The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witnesses of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism. Excepting John Brown—of sacred memory—I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have. Much that you have done would seem improbable to, those who do not know you as I know you. It is to me a great pleasure and a great privilege to bear testimony to your character and your works, and to say to those to whom you may come, that I regard you in every way truthful and trustworthy.  

Your friend,

     FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

 Letter from Wendell Phillips.

June 16, 1868. 

DEAR MADAME: The last time I ever saw John Brown was under my roof, as he brought Harriet Tubman  to me saying: “Mr. Phillips, I bring you one of the best and bravest persons on this continent—General Tubman, as we call her.”

     He then went on to recount her labors and sacrifices in behalf of her race. After that, Harriet spent some time in Boston, earning the confidence and admiration of all those who were working for freedom. With their aid she went to the South more than once, returning always with a squad of self-emancipated men, women, and children, for whom her marvelous skill had opened the way of escape. After the war broke out, she was sent with endorsements from Governor Andrew and his friends to South Carolina, where in the service of the Nation she rendered most important and efficient aid to our army.

     In my opinion there are few captains, perhaps few colonels, who have done more for the loyal cause since the war began, and few men who did before that time more for the colored race, than our fearless and most sagacious friend, Harriet.

Faithfully yours, 
WENDELL PHILLIPS. 

Extracts from a Letter written by Mr. Sanborn, Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of State Charities. 

MY DEAR MADAME:  Mr. Phillips has sent me your note, asking for reminiscences of Harriet Tubman, and testimonials to her extraordinary story, which all her New England friends will, I am sure, be glad to furnish.

     I never had reason to doubt the truth of what Harriet said in regard to her own career, for I found her singularly truthful. Her imagination is warm and rich, and there is a whole region of the marvelous in her nature, which has manifested itself at times remarkably. Her dreams and visions, misgivings and forewarnings, ought not to be omitted in any life of her, particularly those relating to John Brown.

     She was in his confidence in 1858-59, and he had a great regard for her, which he often expressed to me. She aided him in his plans, and expected to do so still further, when his career was closed by that wonderful campaign in Virginia. The first time she came to my house, in Concord, after that tragedy, she was shown into a room in the evening, where Brackett’s bust of John Brown was standing. The sight of it, which was new to her, threw her into a sort of ecstasy of sorrow and admiration, and she went on in her rhapsodical way to pronounce his apotheosis.

     She has often been in Concord, where she resided at the houses of Emerson, Alcott, the Whitneys, the Brooks family, Mrs. Horace Mann, and other well-known persons. They all admired and respected her, and nobody doubted the reality of her adventures. She was too real a person to be suspected.  In 1862, I think it was, she went from Boston to Port Royal, under the advice and encouragement of Mr. Garrison, Governor Andrew, Dr. Howe, and other leading people. Her career in South Carolina is well known to some of our officers, and I think to Colonel Higginson, now of Newport, R.I., and Colonel James Montgomery, of Kansas, to both of whom she was useful as a spy and guide, if I mistake not. I regard her as, on the whole, the most extraordinary person of her race I have ever met. She is a negro of pure, or most pure blood, can neither read not write, and has the characteristics of her race and condition. But she has done what can scarcely be credited on the best authority, and she has accomplished her purposes with a coolness, foresight, patience and wisdom, which in a white man would have raised him to the highest pitch of reputation.    

I am, dear Madame, very truly your servant.
F.B. SANBORN             

Letter from Col. James Montgomery. 

ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C., July 6, 1863.
HEADQUARTERS COLORED BRIGADE.  

BRIG.-GEN. GILMORE, Commanding Department of the South— 

GENERAL: I wish to commend to your attention, Mrs. Harriet Tubman, a most remarkable woman, and invaluable as a scout. I have been acquainted with her character and actions for several years.

     I am, General, your most ob’t servant, JAMES MONTGOMERY, Col. Com. Brigade.
 

Letter from Mrs. Gen. A. Baird
PETERBORO, Nov. 24, 1864. 

    The bearer of this, Harriet Tubman, a most excellent woman, who has rendered faithful

And good services to our Union army, not only in the hospitals, but in various capacities, having been employed under Government at Hilton Head, and in Florida; and I commend her to the protection of all officers in whose department she may happen to be.

     She has been known and esteemed for years by the family of my uncle, Hon. Gerrit Smith, as a person of great rectitude and capabilities. 

MRS. GEN. A. BAIRD.
Letter from Hon. Gerrit Smith.
PETERBORO, N.Y., Nov. 4, 1867. 

     I have known Mrs. Harriet Tubman for many years. Seldom, if ever, have I met with a person more philanthropic, more self-denying, and of more bravery. Nor must I omit to say that she combines with her sublime spirit, remarkable discernment and judgment.

     During the late war, Mrs. Tubman was eminently faithful and useful to the cause of our country. She is poor and has poor parents. Such a servant of the country should be well paid by the country. I hope that the Government will look into her case. 

GERRIT SMITH.    

Testimonial from Gerrit Smith.
PETERBORO, Nov. 22, 1864.      

     The bearer, Harriet Tubman, needs not any recommendation. Nearly all the nation over, she has been heard of for her wisdom, integrity, patriotism, and bravery. The cause of freedom owes her much. The country owes her much.

     I have known Harriet for many years, and I hold her in my high esteem. 

GERRIT SMITH.  

Certificate from Henry K. Durrant, Acting Asst. Surgeon, U.S.A. 

     I certify that I have been acquainted with Harriet Tubman for nearly two years; and my position as Medical Officer in charge of “contrabands” in this town and in hospital, has given me frequent and ample opportunities to observe her general deportment; particularly her kindness and attention to the sick and suffering of her own race. I take much pleasure in testifying to the esteem in which she is generally held. 

HENRY K. DURRANT,
Acting Assistant Surgeon, U.S.A.
In charge “Contraband” Hospital.
Dated at Beaufort, S.C., the 3d day of May, 1864.
I concur fully in the above. 
R. SAXTON, Brig.- Gen. Vol.                 

      A Letter from Gen. Saxton to a lady of Auburn.

ATLANTA, Ga., March 21, 1868. 

MY DEAR MADAME: I have just received your letter informing me that Hon. Wm. H. Seward, Secretary of State, would present a petition to Congress for a pension to Harriet Tubman, for services rendered in the Union Army during the late war. I can bear witness to the value of her services in South Carolina and Florida. She was employed in the hospitals and as a spy. She made many a raid inside the enemy’s lines, displaying remarkable courage, zeal, and fidelity. She was employed by General Hunter, and I think by Generals Stevens and Sherman, and is as deserving of a pension from the Government for her services as any other of its faithful servants.

I am very truly yours,
RUFUS SAXON, Bvt. Brig.-Gen., U.S.A. 

     Rev. Samuel I. May, in his recollections of the anti-slavery conflict, after mentioning the case of an old slave mother, whom he vainly endeavored to assist her son in buying from her master, says:

     “I did not until four years after know that remarkable woman Harriet, or I might have engaged her services, in the assurance that she would have bought off the old woman without paying for her inalienable right—her liberty.”

     Mr. May in another place says of Harriet, that she deserves to be placed first on the list of American heroines, and then proceeds to give a short account of her labors, varying very little from that given in this book.   

To be continued… 

The Rescue of Charles Nalle –  Troy Whig, April 28, 1859.

 HARRIET TUBMAN 

This republication of Sarah H. Bradford’s memorable biography of Harriet Tubman is an exact, unaltered and unabridged, reprint of the expanded second edition of 1886. The first edition appeared in 1869. Both were privately printed by Mrs. Bradford for the purpose of raising funds to aid “the Moses of her people.”

Harriet Tubman Day set: Public invited to celebration Saturday
 

CAMBRIDGE - The Harriet Tubman Organization invites the community to attend the Harriet Tubman Day Annual Celebration on Saturday, at the Elks Lodge, 618 Pine St., from 6 to 10 p.m. The annual banquet and program is sponsored by the Harriet Tubman Organization with Donald Pinder, president, and Evelyn Townsend, vice president.

For historical accuracy, the first Harriet Tubman Day Celebration began in the late 1960s and was arranged by Addie Clash Travers. The day was with a weekend of historical and cultural activities in the city of Cambridge, ending in church services at the historical Bazzel AME Church at Bucktown.

The Harriet Tubman Historical Society, voice/advocate for the preservation and recognition of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad reached Dorchester County during the early 1980s in search of Harriet Tubman's trail and to reconnect the Maryland & Delaware Underground Railroad. Vivian Abdur-Rahim visited the Dorchester County Public Library and spoke with librarian Gloria Henry.

Ms. Henry led her directly to Addie Clash Travers, Linda Wheatley and members of the Harriet Tubman Association (now the Harriet Tubman Organization). Together, both organizations established a friendship and network that continues today with Evelyn Townsend and officials of the Harriet Tubman Organization.

The Harriet Tubman Historical Society and the Harriet Tubman Association of Dorchester County, joined to sponsor the first National Harriet Tubman Day Celebration. Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., D-Del., the late Sen. Bill Roth and Rep. Thomas Carper, D-Del., sponsored Harriet Tubman Day legislation in the United States Congress .

Harriet Tubman Day was proclaimed by President Bush, Congress, more than 20 governors, elected officials, cities, and St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

On March 9, 1990, the Harriet Tubman Historical Society sponsored the Harriet Tubman Day cultural program in Wilmington; March 10, 1990, the first Harriet Tubman Freedom Tour, departed from Wilmington, stopping at Underground Railroad sites in Delaware, crossing the Choptank River, en route to the celebration banquet in Cambridge.

Since the Harriet Tubman Day celebration in the late 1960s and the first National Harriet Tubman Day, March 10, 1990, several major events of interest have been reported:

l $50,000 was awarded to Evelyn Townsend to support the Harriet Tubman Organization "to pay the mortgage on the group's Race Street Headquarters and to conduct major repairs," Mrs. Townsend said as she received the check from Del, Rudy Cane;

l Harriet Tubman Millennium Pilgrimage sponsored by Addie Richburg & the International Network to Freedom, Washington, D.C. May 2000;

l Dedication of the Harriet Tubman Memorial Garden, May 22, 2000, Cambridge;

l Harriet Tubman Highway, a stretch of U.S. 50 was dedicated to Tubman;

l The Harriet Tubman Special Resource Study legislation sponsored by New York Sen. Charles Schumer and Maryland Sen. Paul Sarbanes;

l The Web site is www.HarrietTubmanStudy.org

Gov. George Pataki in 2003 proclaimed March 10 a holiday in the state of New York, initiated by the Black Women Leadership Caucus.

During the 2000 session of the Maryland General Assembly, the African American Tourism Council of Maryland and the Harriet Tubman Organization of Cambridge were successful in getting Senate Joint Resolution 12 passed to designate March 10 every year as Harriet Tubman Day in Maryland. Louis Fields played an important role in establishing the day.

The Harriet Tubman Historical Society wrote letters to the Congressional Black Caucus May 1999, requesting their support for the Harriet Tubman National Holiday. Theme: The Millennium Project for Peace and Reconciliation.

The community is invited to join the Harriet Tubman Organization Saturday and meet descendants and friends at the Harriet Tubman Annual Celebration.

For tickets contact The Harriet Tubman Organization, 424 Race St. or Donald Pinder at (410) 228-0401. Tickets for adults are $20 and include the Harriet Tubman dinner and cultural program; half-price for children under 12.

Tubman banquet an inspiration

By Renee Gilliard, Daily Banner

CAMBRIDGE — Saturday’s annual Harriet Tubman Day Banquet gave many guests the opportunity to reflect on the significant contribution made by one of the “conductors” of the Underground Railroad.

The annual event at the Elks Lodge No. 223 celebrates the life of Harriet Tubman on the anniversary of her death in 1913.

Emcee Royce Sampson led those in attendance on a journey through Ms. Tubman’s contributions to the African American community and society as a whole through a variety of speeches and musical performances.

“We are so grateful that there were people like Harriet Tubman…and it makes no difference what color our skin may be, we are all children of God,” Mr. Sampson shared as he set the spiritual tone for the evening.

The evening began with a selection from the Warriors of Worship choral group and the Waugh Chapel Gospel choir, who got the crowd of nearly 100 clapping in unison to a variety of Christian music.

The Moves of Praise dance company then presented a series of dances, with a range of performers from toddlers to teenagers. Their interpretive movements were inspired by faith and slavery and brought many in attendance to tears.

Evelyn Townsend, a retired teacher, welcomed guests to the event and reinforced a tone of faith saying,

“[Harriet Tubman] had faith in God and took her life in her own hands, not letting anything come between her and her faith in God.”

Guests had the opportunity to dine while listening to the words of the Rev. Lena Dennis, keynote speaker. The reverend is a Dorchester native and pastor of Eastern United Methodist Church in Baltimore.

Her passion for Christianity took her to West Africa where she conducted Bible studies with young adults and taught students about marriage, sex education, and HIV and AIDS.

Vivica Grissom, a theologian from Philadelphia was also in attendance. The event brought her to Cambridge as a descendant of Harriet Tubman.

SENATE
STATE OF MISSOURI 

     Whereas, the members of the Missouri Senate always welcome the opportunity to acknowledge milestone events in the histories of Show-Me State communities and neighborhoods that are dedicated to improving the future by remembering the past; and 

     Whereas, on March 10, 2007, Harriet Tubman Day will be observed in Kansas City, Missouri, as a part of the Women’s History Month celebration at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Museum; and 

     Whereas, Harriet Ross Tubman is closely associated with the struggle for civil rights and with the Underground Railroad that helped many African Americans win their personal freedom by assisting them on their arduous journey out of slave states during the Civil War; and 

     Whereas, the inaugural Harriet Tubman Day in Kansas City is taking place in large measure because of the steadfast vision and activities of Shirley Johnson; and 

     Whereas, in addition to serving as a memorial to Harriet Tubman, Harriet Tubman Day will entail awards, certificates, ribbons, and the giving of a special Freedom Award to an outstanding and worthy citizen; and 

     Whereas, Harriet Tubman Day also will involve more than one hundred schools, some of whose students will perform selections depicting historical tributes honoring women in history; and 

     Whereas, Harriet Tubman day began in Cambridge, Maryland, in the late 1960s due to the leadership efforts of Addie Clash Travers, who organized Father’s Day weekend historical and cultural activities that concluded in services at the historic Bazzel AME Church in nearby Bucktown, Maryland; and 

     Whereas, Harriet Tubman Day became a national celebration in 1990 when the Harriet Tubman Historical Society joined with the Harriet Tubman Association of Dorchester County, Maryland, the United States Congress, more than twenty state governors, and many city officials to dedicate March 10^th in her honor: 

     Now Therefore, Be It Resolved that we, the members of the Missouri Senate, Ninety-fourth General Assembly, join to applaud the work, goals, and accomplishments associated with the life of Harriet Tubman and to convey to all of those involved this legislative body’s most hearfelt best wishes for a highly successful Harriet Tubman Day in Kansas City; and 

     Be It Further Resolved that the Secretary of the Senate be instructed to prepare a properly inscribed copy of this resolution for presentation at the Harriet Tubman Day program in Kansas City, Missouri. 

Offered by Senator Coleman

Maida J. Coleman

State of Missouri:  
City of Jefferson: 

I, Michael R. Gibbons, President Pro Tem of the Senate, do hereby certify the above and foregoing to be a full, true and completed copy of Senate Resolution No. 518 offered into and adopted on March 6, 2007, as fully as the same appears of record. 

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Senate of the State of Missouri this 6th day of March, A.D. 2007.

Michael R. Gibbons
President Pro Tem
94^th General Assembly