Powerful experience yesterday on Venice Island!! My grandson and i attended Living History Hertiage Project and learned some of our cultural history from Mother Harriett Tubman and A Slave Man before we had to leave for Hoodstock where we was given a book about Mother Tubman.
The setting of a storm coming and a black man in chains yelling for his friends, frightened my four year old grandson. So we had to exit the venue. I will have the conversation with Aiden, about his fears and hope that he understands that fear can keep him from becoming a slave.
Mother Tubman passed on some great information about her life. Mother Tubman knew at a young age that she wanted to be free. Mother Tubman shared with us how her faith was the one thing the slave master could not take from her. Mother Tubman faith and life lessons is what guided her underground railroad. On one of Mother Tubman return trips to the south, she had bought two chickens and was on her way home when she saw the slave master she had fled from walking up the street. She held her head down and looked to her faith to direct her then released the chickens. Running after those chickens allowed Mother Tubman to run pass the slave master without being noticed. Mothers' Tubman faith allowed her to endure, with courage and bravery.
i recently held an education forum with parents, educators, students, advocates and concerned citizens in Strawberry Mansion with the goal of empowering parents. During the forum Ms. Ruth Birchett spoke about her experience as a resident of Strawberry Mansion and an educator in the Strawberry Mansion community. Ms. Birchett and her son attended Fredrick Douglas elementary school where she now teaches. In sharing her experience with us Ms. Birchett continued to refer to the school house as Fredrick Douglas although the schoolhouse was setup to fail and taken over by Young Scholars which also failed and illegally transferred the school to Mastery Charter School.
Mother Tubman spoke of Fredrick Douglas and how a member of the Slave Master family was teaching Fredrick Douglas to read. One day the Slave Master walked into the reading lesson and put a halt to the session, demanded Fredrick Douglas leave the room. Fredrick Douglas left the room and stood at the door to listen to the conversation. The Slave Master spoke against educating the salve said that you cant' educate slaves, education doesn't make them fit to be slaves. After hearing these words Fredrick Douglas knew that to be free from the Master, he had to be educated and found ways to gain education.
After hearing the story of Fredrick Douglas i felt confirmed with my advocacy to save public education. i learned that the conductors of the underground railroad are those caring people in our communities who stand up to injustice and do what we can do to lead our people to freedom. Fredrick Douglas was set up to fail by his Master, but found a way to gain education. The school house named after Fredrick Douglas has been set up to fail so underground railroad conductors Ruth Birchett and Jacqueline Wiggins is working to empower parents and hold these institutions accountable and demand transparency.
Underground Rail Road Conductors Ruth Birchett and Jacqueline Wiggins informing us of what is going on at Fredrick Douglas elementary school.
The setting of a storm coming and a black man in chains yelling for his friends, frightened my four year old grandson. So we had to exit the venue. I will have the conversation with Aiden, about his fears and hope that he understands that fear can keep him from becoming a slave.
Aiden after viewing a black man in chains
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