Harriet Tubman A True American Hero

For decades, I’ve known that Harriet Tubman was a true American hero. Just the same, the magnitude of her heroism, bravery, and courageousness escaped me until I saw the motion picture, “Harriet,” starring Cynthia Erivo and Leslie Odom Jr. During this country’s darkest history, Harriet Tubman not only escaped the bondage of slavery, she traveled back to the deep south, again and again, risking her life to lead seventy others out of a world of servitude, oppression, and degradation. Harriet Tubman’s story could have ended there, but the strong black woman’s unceasing contribution to humanity continued throughout the Civil War. Standing on the front line, Harriet Tubman fought tirelessly against the hatred and dehumanization the Confederacy sought to preserve. Harriet Tubman is a genuine American icon; a symbol for everything our country is purported to represent. I believe Harriet Tubman’s likeness should have graced the twenty-dollar bill a hundred years ago. The original freedom fighter’s image should be imprinted on credit cards as well. The notion of a racist who displays the Confederate flag and views a statue of a treasonous Southern General as acceptable in a public park, carrying around a portrait of a powerful black woman in his Velcro wallet, makes me smile. Now, that’s what I call progress.

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