Black History Museum Presents Harriet Tubman

BOSON, MA -  Boston African American National Historic Site and the Museum of African American History will present "Harriet Tubman: Portrait of an American Hero", a Talk by Dr. Lois Horton on Thursday,  March 31st, at 6 p.m., at the Museum of African American History’s Abiel Smith School in Beacon Hill.  

Harriet Tubman began life in slavery and became best known as a daring conductor on the Underground Railroad.  Less known is the fact that her life spanned ninety-one years and encompassed the antislavery movement, the Civil War, and the struggle for black equality and women's rights.

Motivated by a passion for freedom and strong family ties, Tubman faced great peril to bring family members and other freedom seekers out of slavery.  She joined an established network of courageous fugitives and abolitionists who risked ostracism, financial loss, incarceration, and even their lives in the struggle against slavery.

Tubman demonstrated ingenuity and amazing physical courage with her forays into the South for rescues and by working as a Civil War nurse, scout and spy, actually leading men into enemy territory.  She helped attack the barriers she faced as a woman by speaking out for women's rights and continued to work for freedom after the war in philanthropic work for freed people.  This talk will explore the ways Harriet Tubman's bravery, eloquence, dedication, strong convictions, and ties to both the African American and white communities helped make this poor illiterate black woman an American hero.

This is the fourth program in our Civil War Lecture series scheduled for Winter/Spring 2011.