March 10, 2021, marked the 108th anniversary of the death of Harriet Tubman. The anti-racist, feminist activist left us on March 10, 1913 in Auburn (New York State). This woman of combat with strong human conviction, was one of the most important black personalities in the fight against slavery. She has always worked for the respect and dignity of the Black race in the United States. Ze-africanews took an interest in the life of this woman in the extraordinary life.
A birth in Dorchester County
Harriet Tubman was born Araminta “Minty” Ross in 1822 in Dorchester County to slave parents, Harriet (“Rit”) Green and Ben Ross. Rit was owned by Mary Pattison Brodess (and later her son Edward) while Ben was owned by Mary’s second husband, Anthony Thompson, who ran a large plantation near the Blackwater River in Madison, Maryland. She is a Revolutionary activist for the abolition of slavery. His actions allowed many slaves to escape, which earned him the nickname of “Black Moses”. Harriet Tubman has also directed her actions in the fight against racism and the women’s suffrage movement.
A feminist and anti-racist activist
Harriet Tubman led a vigorous fight for the liberation and dignity of the Black race in the United States. She also worked for the emancipation of mostly black women. After the Civil War, Tubman became an activist for the rights of African Americans and women. She has worked to promote the cause of women’s suffrage. She attended meetings of suffragist organizations before engaging with women like Susan B. Anthony, Emily Howland. For Tubman, women deserved access to political rights as much as men.
The “Black Moses” The “Black Moses”
Harriet Tubman was instrumental in the liberation of many slaves in the United States, which earned him the nickname “Black Moses”. She is described as a saviour who did not hesitate to make decisions, to act for his community and to fight fiercely against injustice at the cost of his life to free his own. It drew its inspiration from the Old Testament narratives that evoked a liberation like that of Moses guiding the Jews out of Egypt while rejecting the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. This inspiration was a key element in his life and guided him to free many slaves.
Abolitionist activist and fighter during the Civil War
Harriet Tubman, a prominent figure in the fight against slavery, actively participated in the Civil War of Secession, a civil war between 1861 and 1865 between the United States of America known as the “Union” led by Abraham Lincoln, and the Confederate States of America under the name of “Confederation” led by Jefferson Davis, which brought together eleven Southern states that had seceded from the United States. Harriet Tubman eventually escaped because she could no longer accept the status of slave. It then carries out actions that allow the liberation of its fellows. Through back and forth in Maryland, she plans her release plans. She starts by releasing family members first, which she explains in these terms: “I was a stranger in a strange world […] My father, my mother, my brothers and sisters were [in Maryland]. But I was free, and they had to be free too”. According to Harriet Tubman, her participation in the civil war was a decisive step towards the abolition of slavery. And it was of course that she decided to join a group of abolitionists from Philadelphia and Boston. In this historic war, which had become a turning point for the slaves of America, and a considerable asset, she worked as a cook and nurse in the ranks.
First black woman to appear on an American bill
Her work, her actions, her positions, her fight against oppression, her militant for the rights of blacks, her abolitionist character as a black woman, Harriet Tubman is formally honored in the United States by a presidential directive of March 10, 1990, his portrait should be on the US$20 bill. The project was postponed by Donald Trump. His successor, President Joe Biden, revived the issue as soon as he came to power in January 2021. This governmental decision to have her face there, if materialized, would make Harriet Tubman, the first black woman distinguished for her humanist voncictions, which will appear on the dollar note.
