Harriet Tubman Day is celebrated each year in March on the 10th, a tradition that was established by the U.S. Congress and Senate on March 13, 1990. While many mistakenly assume the 10th marks her birthday, the truth is more poignant —it’s actually the day she passed away: on March 10, 1913, in Auburn, New York…… at 91 years old! (or possibly 93! learn more on that date discrepancy/debate below)
A Glimpse At A Few Of My Harriet Tubman Moments (In More Recent History):
📸 ABOVE: Photos my sister took at the temporary Harriet Tubman “Journey” statue at Philadelphia’s City Hall back in January 2022 -- which was the year that marked Harriet’s 200th (possibly 202nd!) Heavenly birth YEAR. That center image is a snapshot I took of a large portrait painting of Harriet Tubman that mesmerized me at a (now-closed) Brooklyn café where I cranked on writing deadlines once upon a time during Black History Month back in the day. (I thought/wish I had taken note of the artist’s name…)
Today’s NOT Her Birthday: A Profound Reminder of a Painful Practice in the ‘Past’:
Despite Harriet Tubman’s supreme importance to our shared American history, her birthdate remains unknown—…Sadly, this was not an anomaly but a deliberate practice under chattel slavery. Although slaveholders kept meticulous records of their ‘property’—including birth dates—it was protocol to deny enslaved people …
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A Freedom Fighter with Many Talents
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Despite any systematized slaveholder intentions to dehumanize her and her people, Harriet Tubman clearly had a strong sense of self—both as an individual and as part of the larger collective of a freedom-denied people. … Amid her more widely known roles as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, nurse, decorated military spy, and humanitarian, there is a particular set of transferrable survival skills she also excelled at that rarely, if ever, gets mentioned:
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Harriett’s Self-Funded Abolitionist Work Through Food:
…The little known fact that … [READ THE FULL VERSION OF THIS POST ON MY PATREON PLATFORM
… is a powerful and under-appreciated theme in American history, particularly from the traditionally marginalized Black perspective…
A Personal Connection to Harriet’s Culinary History
[ 👆🏾📸 👆🏽Michael W. Twitty, Henry Louis Gates, and me — Tonya Hopkins aka The Food Griot at that reception I mentioned for the launch of the six-part PBS documentary series, "The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross"]
I first learned about this fascinating food aspect of her story during an in-person conversation with renowned Harriet Tubman biographer, Kate Clifford Larson, at a PBS event reception for Henry Louis Gates over a decade ago…
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…The more i learn about Harriet’s life through food reinforces truths I hold dear: …
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Want to Learn More?
To dive deeper into Harriet Tubman’s fascinating and functional food history, join my PATREON platform at a paid level to gain access to historically accurate recipes, including those connected to Harriet Tubman’s enduring legacy. You or your organization can also book me for talks and presentations sharing customized content with more hidden histories and insights that honor our shared American past.