Harriet Tubman Statue at the Equal Rights Heritage Center

Photo credit - courtesy of Debra Araniti

A short drive from the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park will lead you to the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center. Outside the center stands a statue of the local and national heroine, Harriet Tubman.

Tubman (1822-1913) escaped slavery from the eastern shore of Maryland in her late twenties. She became a conductor on the underground railroad and returned to Maryland several times, leading people north to freedom. Tubman never lost a passenger, and for that, she got nicknamed the Black Moses. During the civil war, she served in the Union Army as a nurse, a cook, an armed scout, and a spy.

After the war, Tubman moved to Auburn to live in the property she bought in 1859 for her parents. In her later life, she took care of her elder parents and other people in need. She got married, adopted a young girl, wrote her biography, and was active in the women’s suffrage movement. Her final resting place is at Fort Hill Cemetery.

This seven-and-half foot tall (2.3 meters) bronze statue depicts her as a young woman, leading the way, stepping forward, holding a lantern, shining the path to freedom. It is one of the few statues that depict her as a young woman since, in most of the photos and sculptures, she is portrayed as an older woman.

Brian Hanlon created this statue. He has created more than 400 bronze sculptures, including several honoring real women. Among them are the Miss America statue, Dorothy Day, Carol Ann Drazba Statue, Fannie Lou Hammer, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

The dedication ceremony took place on November 13th, 2018, and among the guests were Harriet Tubman’s great-great-grandniece Pauline Copes Johnson and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.

The statue is one of the stops of Harriet’s Lantern Trail, which follows historic landmarks in Auburn, including the Harriet Tubman House.

Do not miss the visit to the center, which hosts the exhibit Seeing Equal Rights in New York State, highlighting people from New York who fought for equal rights.

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25 South St, Auburn, NY 13021

 

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