All weekend, one of the most famous people from Central New York is being featured to help kick of Women’s History Month.
Its Harriet Tubman weekend in Auburn and several events honoring her will be featured throughout the week. Tubman is best known for leading slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. A slave herself in the 1800s, Tubman obtained her freedom by heading north, and dedicated her life to helping others.
“It’s an honor to be celebrating her because she chose Auburn. The fifty years that she lived here was her free home,” said Courtney Casper, the Visitor Experience manager. “Usually it’s a one day event but this year we decided to expand that into a weekend long of events, March 6-8th.”
Tubman’s image is now shown throughout the city. Some, like her Great Grand Niece Pauline Johnson, soon hope her face will also be shown throughout the country.
“I want Aunt Harriet's face on the twenty dollar bill and I am going to fight for it,” she said. “She was very brave and courageous and had the Lord by her side.”
“What Aunt Harriet did to save so many people, taking them out of shackles of slavery, and bringing them to free land was absolutely amazing,” said Michele Galvin, another descendent of Tubman.
Tubman was also one of the biggest advocates for women's right to vote.
“She is the best example of a woman who is an activist, a person that was politically aware and a person that really believed in the equality of people,” said Galvin.
Tubman gave strength to hundreds of not just women, but people around the globe, standing up for what she believed in regardless of opposition from the outside world.
“So what she would be telling us today I believe is that don't talk to me about something do something about it,” said Galvin.
Galvin said daring to dream big and lead is what Tubman would want for women, especially with the general election so close by.
“There is place for women not only in politics but at some point this country is going to have to get to the point where they see nothing wrong with a woman who is brilliant, bright, compassionate,” Galvin said. “And who really wants to take us forward to the next stop that she be the president of the United States.”
Exercising our right to vote, making sure inequality is not overlooked, and remembering history to make sure it doesn’t repeat itself is the mission that Tubman’s family stresses.
“If we can all be a little bit more like Harriet it would be a much better world,” said Casper.