Harriet Tubman: Defining a Problem with Society

By Annie Han

 

There is a scene from the movie Forrest Gump that has Forrest running across the country just because he wants to. No particular rhyme or reason. He’s not doing it to raise awareness for any causes. Not for peace or hope. Just because. Yet, he inspires the people that see him. Some even join him on his trek from one side of the country to the other, and the media and product industries explode as a result, making this their big story to follow and something to really profit from. Aside from the jokes that he started the phrase “Sh*t happens” or that he created the smiley face, the journalists recording Forrest simply refer to him as “a gardener from Greenbow, Alabama”. At that point in the movie, however, he was an All-American football player, war veteran awarded a purple heart, an international ping-pong champion, owner of Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, and an investor in Apple. He had done so much more, making what the media boiled him down to quite laughable.

 

As funny as that situation may seem, this has already happened to one of the most notable figures in America’s history: Harriet Tubman. Albeit, it is not to the extremity as the Forrest Gump situation. However, a few sentences in a news article and a 5-minute lesson on Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad in the classroom do not even begin to cover all that she’s done. The media and society in general trends towards simplification, wanting to make everything fast and allow people to take in a plethora of information in the most efficient way possible. While it may save time, it can lessen the impact of events and people. In this case, it’s happened to Tubman. 

 

Throughout her lifetime, she has had a myriad of accomplishments: escaping enslavement, conducting 13 trips through the Underground Railroad, being a nurse for the Union Army, acting as a scout and spy during the Civil War, being the first woman to lead military raids in American history, spreading her influence as a religious leader, and supporting women’s suffrage in her older years. All of these actions that freed hundreds upon hundreds of enslaved people and changed the course of American history are now ignored or hardly talked about. Her trips through the Underground Railroad allowed her to single-handedly save over 70 slaves, but her extensive work in the war saved over 750. Nevertheless, we neglect the latter events of her career.

 

Looking at countless articles and art pieces dedicated to Tubman, I’ve seen a common trend, and it frustrates me to no end. The news of Tubman being put on the $20 bill to replace Jackson gained popularity in 2016, and with the recent announcement that the deadline for those to be put in circulation would be pushed back from 2020 to 2028 (poor decision in my opinion), there is a new uproar of articles from various news sources. A fair majority of these sources simply talk about Tubman as the conductor of the Underground Railroad, and though it is still incredible and should be acknowledged, the rest is left to the unknown. 

 

The media ignores everything else, and it is this issue that qualifies other people like Raven Symoné saying “I know the history. I get it. I’m in that culture… I would have chosen someone that is closer to the progression that we are doing now.”

 

There is a lack of understanding of who Tubman was. Many misquotes, fake bounties, and fake pictures make it difficult to know. For example, there was never a $40,000 bounty on Tubman when she was making her trips from the North down to Maryland, and she never said, “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” In 2016, the new money frenzy led to Tubman being confused with pictures of Lady Sara Forbes Bonetta Davies, meaning to be Tubman when she was younger and depicted her as more “glamorous”. In these cases, social media and the regular media have worked to embellish the image of Tubman and made her look “prettier” as if that would change the significance of Tubman’s work. Romanticizing Tubman’s image does nothing but ignores her actions and attempts to relate her importance to her looks, which is unnecessary and demeaning.

 

She was illiterate but an inspiring orator. She was a woman of action, not someone that signed their name on a piece of paper. She freed her family. She freed hundreds of others. She bought a school and retirement home to increase education and care. And she still managed to get two husbands, so Tubman was doing just fine without those fake quotes and photos.

 

There is so much limitation in what is shared and how it is done when it comes to the news, but the world of art takes another course. There is an effort to expand the world’s view of Tubman and her hardships. Some of the most famous are by artists like Jacob Lawrence, William Johnson, and Charles White. Artists use their different mediums to create paintings, drawings, murals, statues, film and TV, and even children’s books that show Tubman as more than the stoic figure commonly shown in her photos. She struggles, has passion, and a seemingly infinite amount of strength. They show her as someone more dynamic in character and make her feel like a whole person that we can understand and empathize with. She is not just an abolitionist, but a woman that showed great resilience unknown to the average person. In the face of enslavement and sexism, she confronts the problems head-on and with the will of God on her side. The plethora of artistic interpretations takes time to show what typical news sources cannot. 

 

Admittedly, art still makes its own mistakes, particularly when it comes to representing Tubman on screen. There are some fantastic depictions performed by Cicely Tyson in the 1978 TV biopic A Woman Called Moses and Aisha Hinds in the show Underground, or comedic performances from Netflix's new show Historical Roasts featuring Yamaneika Saunders or Comedy Central’s Drunk History featuring Octavia Spencer give modern and hilarious ways for people to learn about her. However, the injustice of having only one feature-length film made that has featured Tubman, having that film be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and having the actress be a light-skinned half-white woman is just in poor taste. Hopefully, the new Tubman biopic starring Cynthia Erivo will have better results.

 

In short, if we want to take full advantage of Tubman as the new face on the $20 and feel like she can breathe new life into our society, we have to know who she was. She is an iconic figure that represents liberation and strength for so many reasons, but many people only know of one. It limits the power Tubman has today and slowly dwindles her image.

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Versions of Reality

By Daniella Welton

 

Throughout this project regarding the visual representation of Harriet Tubman, I became aware of the dangers of narrow mindedness, because individuals cannot be reduced to a single dimension.  Harriet Tubman was not merely the conductor of the Underground Railroad. She was also a strong Christian believer. She was a sister, a daughter, a wife, a caretaker, and a friend. She was a nurse and a spy during the Civil War.  She was a suffragist who spoke for fundamental human rights for women. Today she is merely one of these things to many people, because modern depictions tend to highlight only specific aspects of her. However, it would be extremely difficult for an artist or sculptor to capture every part of her existence in a single creation.  Thus I recommend looking at multiple artistic depictions in order to get a well-rounded viewpoint. Unfortunately, artistic renditions of Tubman as a spy and a nurse during the Civil War are rare; perhaps this is because women are not traditionally associated with war, or because some are unaware of Tubman’s contributions in this area.  Conversely, media depictions of Tubman are capable of portraying her more accurately, but most fail to achieve this. It is difficult to pinpoint why exactly this is the case, but ignorance, intention, and stereotyping could be contributing factors. 

 

My hope is that the publicity Tubman has received from the recent movement to put her face on the $20 bill will encourage society to do further research into her life in order to get a more well rounded image of her.  Tubman had a disability, helped open the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes when she was elderly, and had a husband who found another woman while Tubman was taking people along the Underground Railroad; these are three little known facts, but I think they are extremely important to her persona, because they show how Tubman faced even more opposition than we know.  She refused to let her disability inhibit her, which can be an inspiration for those struggling with disabilities today.  There is a mural of Tubman that shows her face with the word “Disabled” written above it, showing that one label does not have the power to diminish a life.  The home she helped create when Tubman herself was elderly showed how Tubman wanted to ignite change until the very end of her life, emphasizing that people can make an impact regardless of their age.  A mural of Tubman was painted based on a photograph several years before her death with the caption “Do It,” echoing how Tubman never relented. There are lines of color protruding from her head, perhaps representing her many ideas.  Tubman demonstrated resilience instead of playing the part of the broken hearted girl when she was betrayed by her husband, because she continued to guide people to freedom. This showed her emotional maturity even though she was capable of caring deeply for others.  

 

Unfortunately, even though people get to choose what they do during their lifetime, they do not get to choose how they are remembered.  Tubman herself cannot correct the inaccurate or incomplete portrayals.  I believe that she would be uncomfortable with all the attention she receives in society which escalated recently especially with the $20 bill.  She was a strong Christian who constantly sought God for guidance. She also looked to God as a source of hope, as did many of the other enslaved people. Tubman is often dubbed “Moses,” the prophet from the Bible who led God’s people out of Egypt to freedom.  In many reenactments and productions about Tubman, the song “Go Down Moses” by Louis Daniel Armstrong is played, and there is a children’s book about Tubman entitled “Moses” in which God talks to Tubman, guiding her on what to do. This Biblical allegory emphasizes how Tubman too brought people from enslavement to freedom while maintaining a deep relationship with God.  Tubman said, “..and I prayed to God to make me strong and able to fight, and that’s what I’ve always prayed for ever since.” Thus she is crediting God for her strength, realizing that she could not have done the many impactful things she did alone. Tubman also said, “God’s time is always near. He set the North Star in the heavens; He gave me the strength in my limbs;  He meant I should be free.” The North Star helped Tubman lead people to freedom, and she is thanking God for her capability to do so. Thus I do not think that she would want people to necessarily idealize her as an individual, but rather to idealize the fruits that accompany a deep relationship with God.  That is not to say that she should not be respected and beloved, because her contributions were both incredibly impactful and brave.
 

The segregated Harriet Tubman YWCA that existed in Durham should serve as a strong reminder of Tubman’s religious background, because it is an organization rooted on Christian ideals with an emphasis on community and female empowerment.  Unfortunately, the remaining building may be demolished by the city of Durham even though it is an important African-American historical landmark. This shows the declining effort in maintaining a true picture of Harriet Tubman and history.

 

However, no matter what version of Tubman you may know, I assure you that she will never fail to inspire you.  Her story lives on through her legacy of love and justice. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman

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Talk to Me

By: Veronica Niamba

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I wasn’t excited for this project when it began. Of course I wanted to learn more about Harriet Tubman than the 20 minutes spent on the Underground Railroad in elementary school, but as someone who expresses herself better through words than through art, I didn’t know if I would be able to spend six weeks looking at images of one person. How much information can one really gain from a photo or a painting?

 

Fast forward six weeks and I have learned so much about Tubman through fine art, film, murals, statues, stamps, and even children’s books. The words that came with all these mediums were quite limited. It was a picture and often a title and short description. That was it. There wasn’t long text I had to read (skim) through or words I had to use a dictionary to understand. Everything was short and to the point. All I needed to know was within arm’s reach. The words didn’t matter as much as what they were describing. 

 

Of course, knowing a little bit of background information on Tubman was important in understanding why all I was seeing was significant, but the great thing about visual art is that it doesn’t require a lot from the viewer. Of course, visual art has its shortcomings in part because it lacks in adaptability and receivability by those who are visually impaired. New advancements in the art community are beginning to make it more accessible for the visually impaired. These include, but are not limited to, 3-d printing fine art, incorporating braille into fine art, extra textured paintings, and tactile art that welcomes and encourages touch. There is still quite a way to go to make it accessible to everyone, but it doesn’t require that you know how to read or analyze a piece of text or know extensive histories. It doesn’t require you to be of a certain age or have a certain education level. All it requires of you is to think and ask questions. Each time I would see Tubman presented in a different light I would ask why? What’s the significance? Is there a deeper meaning here? What part of her story will allow me to understand this more or what part of her story will I gain from this? One of my biggest questions, and one that continues to linger in my mind is regarding her proposed, now delayed, placement on the $20 bill.

 

The average person doesn’t look much at their money. The cashier rings up the total, they pull the appropriate number of bills out of their wallets, and they go on with their day. Now, more and more people are slowing their use of paper money and opting for plastic, or wireless tapping services like apple and google pay. Despite this, there is one group of people that tend to pay a lot more attention to things than you and me. Children. Children see and notice things that adults don’t. They are more willing to question things than almost any other age demographic will. They are free in their thoughts and ideas. Children will be impacted the most by Harriet Tubman on a piece of American money. This, I hope, would force more schools to look into her history and not simply lump her in the short lesson plan they have on slavery. 

 

Kids who ask their parents for $20 to go to the movies will notice that something is different. They will notice a woman on the bill, rather than a man who is presented on every other bill. They will notice the tint of her skin is much darker, even in green, than everyone else displayed on money. They will ask questions and that is what they need to do. That is what we need them to do. Dano Wall’s stamp comes of importance here too. So often, people don’t know what they don’t know. Even if someone were to come across a $20 bill with Harriet Tubman’s face stamped over Jackson’s and they didn’t know who she was or what she meant, that would spark a curiosity. They could realize that there is so much of American history that they don’t know. How it wasn’t just the Mayflower, pouring some tea in the harbor, Lincoln freeing the slaves, and ‘saving the world’. This nation’s history was and continues to be harsh, ugly, inhumane, and racist. Having Tubman on the bill, or even stamped onto a bill would get people to start talking. It would make them uncomfortable. Hopefully that discomfort will bring forth something better.

 

Of course, problems do come with putting a figure like Tubman on the bill. As a country, we don’t really deserve to have her on one of our most used bills. Tubman did so much for a country that gave so little back to her and people like her. People might also even use the stamp as an example that we are completely post-racial. “We had a black president and now a black woman on the bill, so we’re set to go in racism.” That could be very harmful, but it is a consequence that would surely arise. 

 

But even with these issues, don’t we deserve to begin taking racists off of our bills? Don’t black kids, teens, and adults deserve to see someone like them on a bill? Don’t black folks deserve not to have to see someone who didn’t believe that were human on the money they use to support themselves? Doesn’t white America deserve to be uncomfortable in their privilege and actually start thinking about the past behind them and the role they need to play? All these questions have difficult answers, or more than one answer, but it’s a conversation. Art begins conversations for people no matter how old or how young. For people with no formal education or people with multiple degrees. The art of having a Tubman stamp breeds discourse we need to have, because without it, value and meaning to the things we do and the decisions we make will be lost.