Harriet Tubman Day is March 10th!
Harriet was a civil rights activist and an abolitionist. Having escaped slavery, she became a fierce leader of other slaves to freedom.
Her mission was to disrupt the abolitionists and show others a better life. Harriet used safe houses that became known as “the underground railroad.”
They traveled by night, when it was safer. Codes were braided into the women’s and children’s hair. There were even messages in the music, alerts to danger, locations of safe houses, and resources like water and food that could be found.
Harriet did all this without the Internet, AI, telephones, or radios.
This was a woman of courage, passion, and a heart’s desire to save others.
I take two things away from Harriet’s story:
1) Her desire to help others was stronger than wanting a simple, free life for herself and her family.
2) Harriet had a fierce network of people who believed as strongly as she did.
Today, our ability to advocate, help, and serve can be done with the click of a button, the download of an app, or the purchase of a subscription.
Are there no more battles to fight?
Has poverty and lack been eradicated?
Have all the homeless, the mentally fragile, and the ill been served? We may look around and think all the battles have been fought. There is nothing left for us.
The man who walked up 4 flights of stairs with me, giving me space to stop and catch my breath when I needed to. That was Harriet’s help.
The Uber driver who determined to locate me when I needed guidance. That was Harriet’s help.
Gifting a homeless person a meal is helping.
Listening to the person who tells you their whole life story at the bus stop is helping.
Harriet didn’t blow her horn. She quietly, behind the scenes, did what she could. Every act of service or kindness does not have to become an FB post.
I am determined to help where I can without looking for the fanfare, the accolades, or applause. We know firsthand what being ignored feels like. We have felt like the whole system was against us.
We have a great opportunity to keep Harriet’s mission and work alive in a new way by mobilizing our community to advocate for social justice and support marginalized voices.
I am asking my sisters to come together.
Let’s create our own Underground Railroad in 2026.
Our railroad will quietly offer our talents, resources, and gifts to those enslaved mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially.
We can help guide others to freedom with kindness, warmth, and care.
The freedoms we enjoy came on the backs of people like Harriet Tubman.
