The Harriet Tubman statue created by the Wesley Wofford Sculpture Studio remains on display at the courthouse in Cambridge, Maryland, through Oct. 11. The 9-foot, 2,400-pound bronze sculpture, “Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom,” is temporarily installed at the Dorchester County Courthouse at 206 High Street. There is talk of raising funds to bring a permanent sculpture to the area; watch for the latest on the Tubman Byway Facebook page.
The sculpture, “Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom,” depicts Tubman confidently leading a slave girl on the Underground Railroad to freedom. Wofford, the creator of the statue, said, “There is a lot of embedded symbolism within the narrative of the piece. The contours of the base represent the Maryland/Delaware Peninsula, where Harriet was enslaved, eventually escaped, and continued to return for her freedom raids. The dramatic step up/cut is the Pennsylvania state line, and they are stepping out of the slave states to an elevated freedom. The dress is enveloping the young girl, billowing protectively like a flag, and is meant to represent all the legal protections afforded every United States citizen-a symbol of the future equality to come. Each hand on the sculpture signifies an attribute: Determination, Protection, Fear, and Trust. The slave girl is leaning out to get a better look at where Harriet is taking her with a look of trepidation on her face. She is gripping Harriet’s right arm tightly but her delicate finger grasp is cautiously hopeful. The girl is off balance and tentatively taking a step forward-her left foot precariously hanging off a cliff, illustrating the danger and peril of the journey. The shackles are broken and the atrocities of slavery are left forever behind.”