Temporary Harriet Tubman statue unveiled at City Hall, celebrating her Pennsylvania connections
The nine-foot statue will be featured in front of Philadelphia City Hall’s North Apron through the end of March to celebrate the abolitionist’s 200th birthday and Philly connections.
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A 9-foot Harriet Tubman statue will be featured in front of Philadelphia City Hall’s North Apron through the end of March to celebrate the abolitionist’s 200th birthday, as well as Black History and Women’s History Months.
Tubman had a strong connection to Philadelphia, making her way to the city in 1849 after escaping slavery in Maryland and even speaking at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church during her time in the city.
Tubman would use the Underground Railroad’s network of homes and churches in Philadelphia to help free about 70 enslaved people from Maryland.
Unveiled Tuesday, Wesley Wofford’s sculpture The Journey to Freedom gives a nod to Tubman’s Pennsylvania ties.
“Philadelphia holds a specific relevance to Harriet’s story as the city she found safe harbor in after her escape from Maryland, as well as staging many of her returning raids to free others from the bondage of slavery,” Wofford said in a statement.
The monument’s base incorporates the Pennsylvania state line and the Maryland-Delaware Peninsula in its shape. Atop the base, Tubman is leading a young girl to freedom, bracing against the elements. The young girl is leaving a set of shackles behind, on the section of the base that represents Maryland.
Tubman is seen protecting the worried girl with her body, one foot on the Pennsylvania border, according to Wofford.
Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy has partnered with local organizations and businesses including the Philly POPS, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and Harriett’s Bookshop for more than 30 events celebrating Tubman’s legacy.
Screenings of the film Harriet, starring Cynthia Erivo and East Oak Lane native Leslie Odom Jr. and set in Philadelphia, are peppered throughout February and March with introductions from community activists and leaders.
Mayor Jim Kenney said telling these types of stories is key to “connecting with our communities.”
“I am particularly proud that the City of Philadelphia is hosting the temporary installation of Harriet Tubman on the North apron of City Hall while a monument to another important Black activist, Octavius Catto, lives on the South apron,” he said in a statement.
The sculpture has been on the road since 2020, making stops in Cape May and most recently Sylva, N.C. After March 31, the sculpture will be taken to White Plains, N.Y.