Harriet Tubman’s faith shines through onscreen
The movie “Harriet” opened at the Pen Centre cinema earlier this month, so my wife and I decided to check it out. We’re glad we did.
It’s the amazing true story of Harriet Tubman, who showed incredible faith, determination and courage in her fight against the evil of slavery. Many youth are familiar with her story from history textbooks.
Appropriately, it was directed by a black woman, Kasi Lemmons. It also has a direct link to this region and the city of St. Catharines. The story can be summarized by three names the heroine was known by. Minty
Tubman was born Araminta Ross, her first name shortened to “Minty.” She was born into slavery in 1820, in Maryland, to a free father, but a slave mother. As she grew up, Tubman was abused, whipped and saw siblings sold off never to be seen again. Once, her head was cracked open leaving her comatose for two months. Slaves were treated like animals and possessions by white masters. As a young woman she married a free black man, John Tubman, and hoped to legally gain freedom for her and her future children. These hopes were dashed by a cruel master.
When she learned she would be sold and separated from her loved ones, she decided to escape. She went alone fearing her husband would lose his freedom if he was caught.
Against all odds, she traversed the miles of rough woods and rivers from the slave state of Maryland to the free state of Pennsylvania. She was sustained by a strong, mystical faith and would often receive divine guidance while in a trance-like state. She trusted God to protect her and he did. Harriet
Now in Philadelphia and free, she changed her name to Harriet Tubman (Harriet was her mother’s name). She gained confidence and in spite of her lack of education learned to walk, talk and act like a free human being with dignity.
Harriet joined and became a leader of the Anti-Slavery Society. Once she gave an inspiring speech to the “Underground Railroad” organizers in New York declaring, “I will give every last drop of blood in my veins to free them.” This led her to risk her own freedom (and life) to go south again to try to free her family, friends and other slaves.
Back in Maryland a year later, she discovered her husband had remarried. Her masters told him Harriet had drowned. Undeterred, she gathered her first small group of slaves and led them to freedom. Strengthened, protected and guided by God, Harriet would simply say, “I walk with the Lord.”
Moses
As more slaves escaped, Tubman was affectionately called “Moses” after the Biblical liberator of Hebrew slaves in Egypt. The plantation owners assumed the culprit was a white male abolitionist and put a price on his head. They had no idea Moses was a woman and one of their former slaves.
Tubman became a “conductor”
in the Underground Railroad. It was neither underground nor a railroad, but it transported hundreds of slaves to freedom. She showed extraordinary bravery knowing if caught, she would be tortured, tarred and torn limb from limb.
The Fugitive Slave Act was passed by Congress in 1850 permitting southern slave owners to reclaim former slaves in the north. This forced Tubman to lead the freed slaves further north to Canada. She crossed the Niagara River and brought many to St. Catharines where she lived for eight years. Today, her Canadian home city has a school named in her honour on Henry Street and her church (Salem Chapel) is a historic site on Geneva Street.
A few years later, the U.S. Civil War erupted and Tubman became a spy for the Union Army. She was also one of only a few women in American history to lead a group of soldiers in battle. Once a scared young slave girl, she had become an empowered free woman who has inspired countless others of all races.
Harriet Tubman died in 1913 at 91. Quoting her Saviour, her last words were: “I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). The woman who had welcomed so many into freedom on Earth was welcomed by Jesus into her eternal home.