Harriet Tubman

Image credit: National Women’s History Museum

With absolute and total reverence, they called her ‘The General’. Or ‘Moses’. At only 5 feet, 2 inches, Harriet Tubman was an African American woman born into slavery (circa March 1822) in USA, who achieved the impossible.

HerStory

What makes Harriet Tubman’s story so fascinating is that she was born into what’s possibly the lowliest circumstance a human being can be born into. As a black female enslaved in 19th century US, she was supposedly worth less than any other category of human. As a child, she was abused, beaten and whipped by several slave masters. Yet, she escaped slavery in the American South to become one of the world’s most renowned icons of bravery, freedom and possibility. Harriet Tubman was one of the country’s leading abolitionists before and during the American Civil War (1861 to 1865). In 13 highly dangerous rescue missions, she led 70 enslaved African Americans to freedom in the North along the route known as the Underground Railroad.

In a move that earned her the title ‘General Tubman’, Harriet Tubman created the strategy and plans to help fellow abolitionist, John Brown, in the Harper’s Ferry Raid. The raid freed over 700 enslaved African Americans. It’s a historic and powerful precipitating event that led to the American Civil War.

Oh, and did I mention she did all of this after suffering a traumatic head injury that caused pain, dizziness and bouts of hypersomnia throughout her life? The injury happened when a slave master threw a heavy metal object at another enslaved person and it hit Harriet on the head.  

There was a bounty of $40,000 for her capture which today would be the equivalent of about $830,419! After the war, she became a political activist, humanitarian and activist in the suffrage movement.  

Deeply moving

I first heard this Shero’s story in school when I was about 8 years old during Black History Month in the US. Up until that point, no other story had stirred me so deeply to the point of making me tremble with inspiration. Looking back on that moment, I dare say it was a mature reaction for an 8-year-old. Which is a testament to the power of a story such as this one.

Can you imagine the level of love, courage and pure chutzpah it took in order to selflessly dedicate her life to service in the way that she did? It’s almost unimaginable but I think her intuition guided her to victory. Looking at her circumstances: she had little or no resources, deemed to be of little value by society, potentially had little or no emotional/mental support and I’m guessing at the beginning of her activity, people thought she was crazy! And yet with relentless defiance she literally and metaphorically rose up and forged her own path where it seemed utterly impossible. In the process, she carved a freeway for hundreds and subsequently millions of people to experience physical and mental freedom. Like the story of Moses in the bible, Harriet Tubman’s actions earned her the venerated name, Moses. This is her legacy.

I wrote an article about Harriet Tubman this time last year. My fascination with her story does not diminish. With last month being Black History Month in the US, this week is International Women’s Day week and her period of birth speculated to be in the month of March, it feels like a good time to share HerStory.

♥ Nina Gbor

Instagram: @eco.styles

International Women's Day: the abilities of womanhood

An important ability that women in the world have is the ennoblement of our surroundings. And the ability to ensure a continuous flow of positivity, upliftment and positive change that can direct the progress of humanity in the right direction. So, make no mistake, the existence of women in the world is not merely to have children and to be mothers, even though this is also a very beautiful and crucial task. With intuition, women in the world have the ability to ensure the continuous exaltation and advancement of our species in ways that can shift the entire status quo and change global systems. In this way, women can take the lead in cultivating harmony and balance with people and the planet. Happy International Women’s Day.

♥ Nina Gbor

Instagram: @eco.styles

Harriet Tubman; a self-empowerment icon for the millennium

Photo: Benjamin F. Powelson Collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture shared with the Library of Congress, 2017.30.4

At the intersection of US’ Black History Month in February and International Women’s Day in March, the zeitgeist compels me to share the story of Harriet Tubman. There are several historical and public figures that have inspired the world such as Michelle Obama, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Audrey Hepburn, Oprah Winfrey and Abraham Lincoln. However, Tubman’s story makes her one of the greatest symbols of self-empowerment that the world has ever seen.  

Harriet Tubman was an African American woman born into slavery in 1822 yet escaped to become one of history’s most noted abolitionists, activist for racial equality, women’s rights & the suffrage movement. Not only was Harriet Tubman the first black woman in the United States Army, she was also the first woman to lead an armed military operation in the United States. Tubman has become an icon for courage and freedom.

Early life

Harriet Tubman was a woman who rose from seemingly impossible circumstances to become immensely powerful, very clever and accomplished. She was born in a country and in a time when a black female was considered the lowest cast of humans with the least amount of value in most cases. Earlier in her life, Tubman suffered a traumatic head wound when an angry slave owner threw a heavy metal weight intending to hit another slave that hit her instead. The injury caused pain, dizziness and bouts of hypersomnia, which occurred throughout her life. Tubman was unable to read or write. Despite all of these circumstances, she freed approximately 770 slaves throughout her life.

Underground Railroad

Tubman escaped slavery in Maryland in 1849 and fled 90 miles to freedom in Philadelphia. Despite her hard-earned freedom, she selflessly returned 13 times over 8 years to help free a total of 70 slaves including her entire family and other slaves. With a bounty on her head, Tubman persisted to venture on these heroic journeys. The Underground Railroad was used in their route to freedom which was North, and then later they ventured further North into Canada. Tubman was never caught. She carried a small pistol for protection against slave catchers. The pistol was also useful for encouraging faint-hearted runaways from returning to their owners because it would risk the safety of the rest of the group, and potentially sabotage future rescue missions. For this reason, it’s been alleged that whenever runaways insisted on turning back, Harriet would pull out her pistol and say, “dead men tell no tales”. And they would carry on with the journey. However, she never shot any of them. She helped former slaves find employment in their new places.

US Civil War

When the American Civil War began in 1861, Tubman worked for the Union Army as a cook, nurse, armed scout and eventually as a spy. She later became the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, as she brazenly led the Combahee Ferry raid in South Carolina that freed 700 slaves. After the war, Tubman raised funds to aid freed men, established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged where she housed and took care of the elderly. She also became active in the women's suffrage movement. Tubman died in 1913. She was buried with military honours.

Photo: Getty Images.

Legacy

Dozens of schools were named in her honour, in addition to a museum in Aubury, New York and other institutions.  The U.S. Treasury Department announced in 2016 that Tubman’s portrait would be centred on the new $20 bill. In May 2019, U.S. Treasury Secretary announced that there would be a delay until 2026 at the earliest.

Fortunately a film was made in 2019, chronicling Tubman’s life called Harriet. See the trailer below.  

Given the socio-political issues that we have today with gender and race inequalities, climate injustice or even how bad we feel our lives are, it helps to look at people like Tubman. She reminds us that change is possible. And that anything is possible. She symbolises a benchmark for knowing that we can find strength within ourselves even when it seems all hope is lost. It’s humbling to know that a woman, born as a slave, without resources, status and legally no right to even call her own life her own, could create such a legacy in the 1800s. All I’m saying is, whatever positive change we’re hoping to create in the world or within our personal lives, just know that YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN!

♥ Nina Gbor

Instagram: @eco.styles

References:

https://www.biography.com/activist/harriet-tubman

https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/harriet-tubman

https://www.history.com/news/harriet-tubman-combahee-ferry-raid-civil-war

Secret Sisterhood social enterprise for women

Nina Gbor on the left hand side. Jacquie Love on the right hand side.

I’m all for social enterprises that empower, uplift and inspire women. I spotted the lovely Jacquie Love outside of the International Women’s Day event, held by the UN Women National Committee Australia in Canberra last month. 

Jacquie was raising funds for UN Women’s gender inequality initiatives by selling beautiful jewellery she designs for the label she founded, Secret Sisterhood. It’s a mission/purpose driven social enterprise that employs women in India to make the jewellery and then gives 100% of profits to charities aimed at ending gender inequality. 

Secret Sisterhood is also a movement, a growing community of women and girls with the collective goal of ending gender equality. They are a global community connecting through events, services and of course jewellery.  One of the things that caught my eye at the UN Women event were the compliment cards from Secret Sisterhood. Inscribed with phrases like “You are really strong” or “You should be so proud”, this is the perfect thing to completely shift someone’s day into a happy one. I might even keep a few in my wallet as my self-love affirmations.

I also loved their Intentional Words jewellery line each with words like Love, Gratitude, Kindness and Peace. These are pieces I would wear with nearly any style of outfit. It feels good having a positive word or symbol with me all day long. 

Needless to say, I’m now officially a fan of Secret Sisterhood. It’s one of the exemplary enterprises, showing how a business can be run in a way that uplifts, supports everyone involved.  

*Photos from Nina Gbor and supplied by Secret Sisterhood

♥ Nina Gbor