Road to freedom: the story of Harriet Tubman

Every year, Americans celebrate Black History Month in February to honor the legacy of Black people in this country. Nevertheless, the contributions of African Americans deserve to be recognized throughout the year. One proposed form of commemoration is the initiative to put abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill.

Born into slavery in the 1820s in Maryland, Harriet Tubman demonstrated bravery and resistance starting at an early age when she intervened to prevent her master from beating an enslaved man. At 27, Tubman fled to Philadelphia to gain her freedom but returned to the South several times to help others escape. Her courage as a so-called conductor of the Underground Railroad earned her the nickname “Moses.”

During the American Civil War, Tubman used her knowledge of transportation routes in the South to work as a spy and scout for the Union army. She became the first recorded African American woman to serve in the military. After the war, Tubman established the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged in 1908, where she helped care for elderly African Americans until her death in 1913.

Although President Joe Biden reaffirmed his commitment shortly after his inauguration to see Tubman on the $20 bill, the change still isn’t slated to be implemented until at least 2030. In the meantime, however, there are countless ways to pay tribute to African American history every day of the year.