It’s the one hundredth anniversary of celebrating Black History Month! One hundred years ago, in 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. His origins in creating a “Negro History Week” in February have proudly extended up to a whole month of commemorating the incredible achievements, paramount events, and honourable roles of Black individuals in history.
If you are a proud celebrator of Black History Month annually, you’ve undoubtedly heard of one of America’s most prominent African-American female figures, the Moses of her people, Harriet Tubman. As of 2019, Martin Chase Productions released a historical autobiographical film titled ‘Harriet’ dedicated to telling the story of Harriet Tubman’s journey, displaying the utmost qualities of sheer determination, resilience, bravery, and strength. All of her perilous journeys strive for just one single pathway. Freedom.
Araminta Ross, a young woman part of a slave family, is promised by a plantation owner that they’ll be liberated and granted freedom from the forceful act of slavery. When her owner began to shift away from his life-changing promise, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Minty traveled a staggering distance of 90 miles from the south of Dorchester County, Maryland, to the north of Philadelphia on foot. She was able to master her footpath by depending on her knowledge of the Railroad network (a secret system of safe houses and abolitionists), concealed routes, and following the North Star for an accurate direction.
Once she arrived in Philadelphia, she was declared a free woman. Marking the first milestone of freedom, she changed her name from Araminta Ross to Harriet Tubman. Her first name was after her mother, and her surname after her husband, who was a free man. Harriet would then return and orchestrate up to 13 rescue operations to save her family and other black slaves in danger and guide them to safety. During her time of saving expeditions, she worked as a conductor in the underground railroad and collaborated with other activists and slave abolitionists to uphold others' freedom, utilizing her most important tool for as many other slaves as she could.
In the film, they elucidated and brought about the ‘superhero-esque’ aura that Ms. Harriet Tubman carried above herself. As she was reported to have a divine intuition and a hopeless devotion to God, whilst leading slaves to liberation. She entrusted her ephemeral visions, which are rooted in her past injuries (narcolepsy and temporal lobe epilepsy from her childhood), and facilitated them as a spiritual compass throughout the treacherous parts of the journey. Vast lakes, enigmatic forests. She pleaded for God to uplift her, and it worked. Throughout the movie, her desperate pleas for God’s assistance have been witnessed by her other slave escapees.
Often underestimated, Tubman’s heroic endurance allowed her to liberate dozens of enslaved people across multiple dangerous journeys. Her reliance on divine guidance and her flawless success rate as a conductor earned her the nickname 'Moses.' By mirroring the ancient story of the Exodus, she stepped into a symbolic role that remains the gold standard for bravery and freedom in American history.
Ever since the 2019 film's release, its significance in pop culture still surfaces on your daily social media. Accrediting the film’s success, the movie has received numerous award nominations, especially centering around the actress who amazingly played Harriet, Cynthia Erivo, with her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations leading to her breakout triumph in the film industry.
The film’s original soundtrack and most famous originally written song, ‘Stand Up’, which today still serves as a proud anthem honouring the fearless strength and resilience of the centerpiece of African-American history herself, the legacy of Harriet Tubman. The original song had skyrocketed into attention, receiving multiple nominations for ‘Best Original Song’ from the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
Today, we stand here acknowledging one of Black History Month’s central paragons of freedom, activism, and social empowerment. Harriet Tubman would go on to set incredible standards of sheer courage and leadership in fighting for the long-sought equality of her people until her last breath in 1913.
She’d be enraged to know that her people are still battling the war of social injustice and deeply rooted racism today. And the possibility that the hatred of her people might never come to a halt.