IN Focus: Harriet Tubman (c. March 1822 – March 10, 1913)
Harriet Tubman was a liberator, a strategist, and a symbol of uncompromising freedom. Born Araminta Ross around 1822 in Maryland, she escaped slavery and returned again and again—risking her life to lead over 70 enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
Known as “Moses,” Tubman used covert tactics, coded messages, and divine conviction to outwit slave catchers. She never lost a single passenger. Her missions were acts of military precision and moral bravery, long before women or African Americans were allowed to hold such titles.
But her courage didn’t end with the Railroad. Tubman became a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War, even leading an armed raid that liberated over 700 enslaved people in South Carolina. After the war, she fought for women’s suffrage and founded a home for the elderly in Auburn, New York.
Her life was a testament to endurance, faith, and the radical act of choosing to fight back.
Honor the Legacy. Wear the Story. Grab the "Harriet Tubman is INerasable" t-shirt from our Legacy Collection—honor history and celebrate resilience.
INerasable: Harriet Tubman's Legacy
She never waited for permission to be powerful. Harriet Tubman is INerasable because she reminds us that freedom is a right, not a request.
She is often reduced to a myth, but Tubman was not a legend—she was a living, breathing force of nature who outmaneuvered America’s most brutal systems. And even now, when schoolbooks attempt to flatten her into a simple conductor, we remember: she was a warrior. A liberator. A visionary.
In a society that still debates who gets to be free, Tubman’s story is as urgent as ever. She is INerasable because she built escape routes into the future—and then walked back through fire to bring others with her.
Art IN Context: Baroque and the Architecture of Resistance
Harriet Tubman is rendered in the Baroque style—a visual tradition marked by drama, contrast, and divine intensity. This aesthetic magnifies Tubman’s mythic stature while grounding her in earthly struggle.
Her portrait features powerful light-and-shadow interplay, echoing the physical journeys she made through night and forest. Flowing textures evoke movement, secrecy, and protection. The grandeur of Baroque architecture becomes metaphor: she wasn’t just moving people—she was dismantling the house of bondage.
In this depiction, Tubman isn’t distant or delicate. She is towering. Sacred. The Baroque lens allows us to frame her not merely as a historical figure, but as a celestial disruptor—a woman whose presence split centuries.
IN Depth: Resources to Learn More
Books & Articles
- Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero – Kate Clifford Larson (One of the most comprehensive biographies of Tubman’s life, rooted in new historical research.) ➔ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/98124/bound-for-the-promised-land-by-kate-clifford-larson/
- Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom – Catherine Clinton (A rich portrait of Tubman’s life, activism, and myth-making.) ➔ https://blackbookswholesale.com/products/harriet-tubman-the-road-to-freedom
Archives
- National Park Service – Harriet Tubman Sites (Federal archive of Tubman’s home and Underground Railroad heritage sites.) ➔ https://www.nps.gov/hatu/index.htm
- Harriet Tubman Historical Society – (Independent organization dedicated to preserving her memory.) ➔ http://www.harriet-tubman.org
- Maryland State Archives – Tubman Biographical Overview (Primary documents and historical context.) ➔ https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/educ/exhibits/womenshall/html/tubman.html
Multimedia
- Harriet (2019 Film) – Focus Features (Biopic dramatizing Tubman’s heroism and leadership.) ➔ https://www.focusfeatures.com/harriet
- Harriet Tubman: They Called Her Moses – PBS Documentary (Classic film in the “American Experience” series.) ➔ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlXGK2wi5oM
- Harriet Tubman Biography – Biography Channel (Concise video for general audiences.) ➔ https://www.biography.com/activist/harriet-tubman
Exploring Art Styles (Baroque)
- Baroque Art Overview – The Art Story (Explores how the dramatic, emotional qualities of Baroque art align with themes of liberation.) ➔ https://www.theartstory.org/movement/baroque-art-and-architecture/
- Beginner’s Guide to Baroque Art – Smarthistory (Accessible overview of Baroque’s stylistic markers and its emotional power.) ➔ https://smarthistory.org/a-beginners-guide-to-baroque-art/
She is IN the shadows. IN the light. INerasable.
