I am so inspired by the life Harriet Tubman led. The stories of her life have influence a lot of my own liberation practice. Last year, I shared the story of how Harriet Tubman's dreams created a vision for collective liberation.
Another story from Harriet Tubman's life that I find inspiring is the story of Harriet as a spy during the Civil War. Harriet was one the earliest community organizers. She was able to recruit a group of formerly enslaved people to act as scouts and guides to the Union Army. During her time working for the army, Harriet Tubman became the first woman to lead a major military operation called the Combahee Ferry Raid. During the raid, over 700 enslaved people were rescued from captivity. https://buff.ly/3uqYeQS
This raid is the inspiration for the name of the Black womanist group, The Combahee River Collective, who taught us, “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.” Harriet Tubman was clearly committed to freeing as many people as she could. The Combahee Ferry Raid is just one example of how truly badass Ms. Tubman was.
(And if you'd like to experience an absolutely DELIGHTFUL telling of this history, check out this video of Crissle West of The Read telling the story of Harriet Tubman, The Spy. https://buff.ly/493uE2T Pure comedy!)
This #BlackHistoryMonth, I'm celebrating 29 Black women who have influenced me through the ways they pursue their own liberation. Black women's work is often unrecognized and not cited, and this month I'm determined to pass out a few flowers to Black women. #Day8 #29LoveLettersToBlackWomen #GiveBlackWomenTheirFlowers
