The Bicentennial Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Harriet Tubman

Two hundred years ago Harriet Tubman was born enslaved on a farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in the United States. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but consensus is sometime between 1820 and 1822. She died March 10, 1913, at about age 90, in Auburn, New York.

People around the world are celebrating her life and legacy. Kicking off today and through October in Maryland events will retrace her footsteps and highlight her fight for freedom.

Check the links to these events at this site:

https://harriettubmanbyway.org/bicentennial-events/

Programs and events scheduled for the anniversary weekend include:

Friday, March 11:

7 p.m. – Virtual Premier of “Rooted Wisdom: Nature’s Role in the Underground Railroad”
This film chronicles the experiences of freedom seekers’ journeys through the wilderness. The documentary film will stream live on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m at naturesrole.org. The virtual event is free and open to all, though registration is encouraged at bit.ly/RootedWisdomPremiere. A panel discussion with historians and filmmakers will follow.

Following the premiere, the film will be shown in the multi-purpose room every hour at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. throughout the celebratory weekend.

Saturday, March 12:

10 a.m. – Opening ceremony featuring a living history interpretation by Millicent Sparks

11 a.m. – “The Discovery of the Ben Ross Homesite”
Hear from Dr. Julie Schablitsky of the Maryland Department of Transportation about the successful effort to locate and excavate the homesite of Ben Ross. The artifacts are on display for the first time at the Visitor Center for the entire month of March.

12 p.m. – “Foraging Freedom: Experiencing the Natural World of the Underground Railroad”
Join an interactive walking tour with historian Anthony Cohen through the Legacy Garden and adjacent Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Participants should expect to be on their feet and are encouraged to wear comfortable all-weather shoes.

1 p.m. – “Jubilee Voices at Harriet’s House”
Hear the Washington Revels Jubilee Voices during the Tubman 200th festivities. Jubilee Voices is an ensemble that is committed to the preservation of African American history and traditions through songs and storytelling.

2 p.m. – “The Education of Harriet Ross Tubman”
Kate Clifford Larson, a Tubman biographer, discusses the free and enslaved people who helped raise, protect, nurture, and educate Minty to become the woman we know as Harriet Tubman.

3 p.m. – “‘Designing a New Place to Experience History: An Exploration of the Architects”
Listen to Chris Elcock, associate principal of the architecture firm GWWO Inc., as he explains the design process behind creating the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center

Sunday, March 13:

10 a.m. – “Meet Harriet Tubman”
Living history interpreter Millicent Sparks performs as Tubman and shares her monumental life with audience members.

11 a.m. – “The Hidden Chesapeake Through Harriet Tubman’s Eyes”
Kate Clifford Larson, a Tubman biographer, shares about some of the places around the Chesapeake Bay that bear witness to the histories, memories, and legacies of the Underground Railroad and its most famous conductor.

12 p.m. – “The Chronicles of Adam”
A powerful and inspirational first-person historical interpretation of an enslaved man by the name of Adam.

1 p.m. – “The Legacy Hour”
Hear from community members and enjoy musical selections from Renna McKinney as we honor the lives of Donald Pinder and Herschel Johnson. During the second half hour, become inspired by Tina Wyatt, great, great, great grandniece of Harriet Tubman as she shares “A Letter to Soph.”

2 p.m. – “The Legacy of Slavery in Maryland”
Chris Haley of the Maryland State Archives presents a general overview of slavery in Maryland, which will include examples of records specifically related to the state and to counties of the Eastern Shore and how both the enslaved and free were affected by the ‘peculiar institution.’

3 p.m. – “Freedom Bound”
Join public historian and historical interpreter Marvin-Alonzo Greer in this family-friendly program with interactive songs and stories.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department of Commerce, National Park Service, and other federal, state, and local partners will continue to celebrate and highlight aspects of Tubman’s story throughout the year.

One of the upcoming events will be a lecture:

Connecting Past to Present: How to use artifacts and photos to create dynamic stories
Saturday, April 2 – 10:30am-Noon, at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center, 424 Race St., Cambridge, MD. This is the subject of my newest book, Snapshots of My Life: How to Write a Memoir. You can purchase the paperback version online, or you can receive a digital version for free by signing up for my newsletter: text Grammy to 22828 to get started!

Today we are talking with Sarah Jackson, the force behind the Instagram site 4DMVKids, and Ranger Cierra, a park ranger at the 480-acre Underground Railroad National Historical Park in Church Creek, Maryland. It is run by the National Park Service and commemorates the life of former enslaved Harriet Tubman, who became an activist in the Underground Railroad prior to the American Civil War. The park has a visitors’ center, a history museum, and an awesome gift shop. There is a full-size statue of Harriet Tubman sitting on a bench at the end of the exhibits. Many people, including Sarah Jackson’s son, have their pictures taken with the statute. To learn about this remarkable woman, visit the following sites:

https://visitdorchester.org/harriet-tubman-american-hero/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman

https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2022/02/21/governor-hogan-encourages-marylanders-to-celebrate-harriet-tubmans-200th-birthday/

Underground Railroad National Historical Park

4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622

(410) 221-2290

National Park Service and the State of Maryland

Free admission

Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center

24 Race St, Cambridge, MD 21613

(410) 228-0401

Site of her childhood home: 2978 Greenbrier Rd, Cambridge, MD 21613

To learn more about this podcast, Adventures with Grammy, and books by Carolyn Berry, visit

https://adventureswithgrammy.com