Harriet Tubman, the name the former Araminta Ross chose once she became a woman, escaped to freedom at the age of 27, then risked capture and even death by returning to the area dozens of times and helping hundreds more reach freedom, including her parents and brothers.
Due to her successful and committed use of the Underground Railroad, a secret network of people and places, she would earn the nickname “Moses” because of her efforts to free her people.
And because of the concerted efforts of people like Louis C. Fields, 65, a longtime Baltimore resident, both the city of Baltimore and, just this year, Washington, D.C., have official days in March (10) that honor and remember Tubman. The enactment of the laws took close to two decades for Fields with the help of a few other committed friends.
“She started with less than nothing but look at what she achieved. That’s a lesson for our youth. It doesn’t matter where you begin but where you end. Harriet Tubman contributed to the American fabric. She didn’t have much education but she had great determination.”
With the recent opening of the new Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park in Church Creek, Maryland, and its new visitors center, youth and adults alike can learn more about her — perhaps even better understanding that by doing what is right, everyone can change the world for the better.
For more information, call 410-221-2290.