Underground Railroad Month Archives

4 09, 2024

Sept. 13-14 events mark Underground Railroad Month in Maryland

Jill Jasuta2024-09-06T09:43:52-04:00

September is International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland, honoring the brave men, women, and children who fought for freedom. It’s the month when Harriet Tubman (born here in Dorchester County, Maryland) made her first attempt to escape slavery (Sept. 17) and when abolitionist Frederick Douglass self-liberated himself in Baltimore (Sept. 3).

To mark the month, join in one of the special events happening along the Tubman Byway, or explore the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on your own. You can also see events happening in other parts of the state.

Footsteps to Freedom: Sept. 13-14, 2024

Reserve your spot for “Footsteps to Freedom: The Historic Link Between Sacrifice, Triumph, and the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement” Sept. 13 and 14. This event also pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the annual Harriet Tubman Emancipation Day. Join in for reflection, education, and inspiration with highlights including “Steal Away” (a puppet/live actor production), seed work artists from the Caribbean islands, workshops to make a Harriet Tubman Emancipation Doll, ranger programs, children’s discovery zone, workshops, performances, and conversations. RSVP for the event.

Underground Railroad Walking Tours

There will be Underground Railroad guided walking tours led by the Harriet Tubman Museum at 10am both Sept 13 and 14. These two-mile, guided walks start at the Harriet Tubman Visitor Center in Church Creek, MD (meet at 9:45am), and explore Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, where history and nature meet. Free, but register for the walks in advance. Donations are welcome. Sponsored by the National Park Service and Maryland Park Service, this event offers a perfect blend of education, inspiration, and community spirit.

Road trip: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway

Another way to mark International Underground Railroad Month is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. This self-guided, scenic driving tour includes more than 30 sites, including the well-known “Take My Hand” mural and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. Enrich your experience with the free audio guide.

Stanley Institute & Christ Rock Church Community Day

Stanley Institute, once a one-room schoolhouse that educated Black children, is Stop #7 along the Harriet Tubman Byway. The area was also the site of two successful escapes by 44 enslaved people. All who attended Christ Rock School, Stanley Institute, or Rock Academy and Christ Rock United Methodist Church are invited to come together as a community from 2 to 4pm Sept. 14 to learn how the community got the name “Christ Rock” and the role the community plays in the history of the Underground Railroad. Meet at Fellowship Hall, 2403 Rock Dr., Cambridge, MD. Organized by the Friends of Stanley Institute.

Sept. 13-14 events mark Underground Railroad Month in MarylandJill Jasuta2024-09-06T09:43:52-04:00

13 09, 2022

Emancipation Day celebration is Sept. 18 at Tubman Visitor Center

Jill Jasuta2022-09-13T17:04:38-04:00

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center hosts Emancipation Day to celebrate Harriet Tubman’s decision to self-liberate, which she made in September 1849. On Sunday, September 18, from 10am to 4pm, the event will include educational programs and family fun. Activities include a birding outing, an interactive foraging tour with historian Anthony Cohen, and children’s games. Topics of the talks include “Black Jacks, Iron Furnaces, and the Underground Railroad;” “African American Women in the Civil War;” and “Gloria Richardson and the Cambridge Civil Rights Movement.” Self-guided activities include Park Quest, Junior Ranger (original version), and Junior Ranger (sights and sounds of freedom version). This year marks 2oo years since Harriet Tubman’s birth. September is also International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland.

Here is the full schedule.

10 a.m.: Birds of Tubman Country. Let’s go birding! Join Ranger Lawson on a fun-filled outing in the park’s Legacy Garden. Make sure to bring your binoculars! Please meet at the north deck of the Visitor Center.

11 a.m.: Reminiscing on Nostalgia. Join Ranger “Mama Mary” Dennard on this interactive journey down memory lane as she looks back at the past and her early years spent in Dorchester County. Understand the progress that has been made as she shares her life experiences and encourages you to appreciate your life in 2022. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

Noon: They Pointed Them North: Black Jacks, Iron Furnaces, and the Underground Railroad. Join Ranger Tim and learn about the vital roles played by Black Jacks and iron furnaces on the Underground Railroad. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

1 p.m.: African American Women in the Civil War. Join Ranger Henry and delve into Harriet Tubman’s time in the Union Army and the important roles women played in the Civil War. Harriet Tubman is best known for her work as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Lesser known is that from 1862 to 1865 she served the Union Army as a nurse and a scout, even helping to lead an armed raid. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

2 p.m.: The Fight Continues: Gloria Richardson and the Cambridge Civil Rights Movement. Join Ranger Collin and learn about the perseverance, determination, and activism of Gloria Richardson. A century after the birth of Harriet Tubman, one brave woman would stand up and lead a fight against racism and oppression. She would create an electrifying movement that drew the eyes of a nation to the small city of Cambridge. Though she is often forgotten, the legacy of Gloria Richardson and the fight she started continues to this day. Please meet in the multi-purpose room inside the Visitor Center.

3 p.m.: Foraging Freedom: Experiencing the Natural World of the Underground Railroad. Join historian Anthony Cohen for an immersive experience and discover how self-liberators used the natural world to assist in their escapes. This interactive tour will guide visitors along paths through the Legacy Garden, as well as the adjoining Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and reveal how the flora, fauna, and landscape of the Eastern Shore played a crucial role in the quest for freedom! Participants should expect to be on their feet and are encouraged to wear comfortable all-weather shoes. No dogs are allowed on the refuge. Please meet at the pavilion.

All-day Activities:

10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (Extended Trailer). View on-the-hour screenings of Maryland Public Television’s extended trailer for “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom” in the theater.

Noon-3 p.m.: Children’s Games. Join Ranger Joanna for some family fun in our legacy garden. Activities will include traditional children’s games such as marbles, horseshoes, jump rope, and potato sack races!

Address: 4068 Golden Hill Road, Church Creek, Maryland 21622
Phone: 410-221-2290

While you’re here, plan a road trip to explore more of the Harriet Tubman Byway. More info.

Emancipation Day celebration is Sept. 18 at Tubman Visitor CenterJill Jasuta2022-09-13T17:04:38-04:00

2 09, 2022

Special events set for International Underground Railroad Month in September

Jill Jasuta2022-09-02T12:19:40-04:00

Governor Larry Hogan proclaimed September 2022 as the fourth annual International Underground Railroad Month in Maryland. The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for the more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed. Maryland also continues to honor 2022 as the “Year of Harriet Tubman” to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Tubman’s birth.

“It’s an honor for Maryland to share the stories of the heroes of the Underground Railroad with the world in every possible way,” said Governor Hogan. “This month, International Underground Railroad Month, is a way to encourage everyone to visit historical sites and attractions and take part in special events, so we can continue to commemorate the visionary freedom fighters and those they rescued.”

Since the tribute month coincides with “The Year of Harriet Tubman” in Maryland, the Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism created a new collection of experiences highlighting the impact the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding waterways had on passengers of the underground railroad called, The Hidden Chesapeake: Slavery and Freedom through Harriet Tubman’s Eyes.

“With nearly 100 sites throughout the state, Maryland is uniquely positioned as the world’s most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination,” said Secretary Mike Gill of the Maryland Department of Commerce. “Visiting the museums and attractions and taking part in special activities this month honors the brave men and women who were involved in Maryland’s contributions to free enslaved people.”

Maryland has the most documented successful escapes using the Underground Railroad and the most National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites. A range of sites offer permanent Underground Railroad exhibits and experiences, including the Josiah Henson Museum & Park, the Visit Hagerstown Underground Railroad Walking Tour, the Southern Maryland African American Heritage Guide, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway Driving Tour, and Maryland’s Frederick Douglass Driving Tour.

International Underground Railroad Month events and activities along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore include:

Underground Railroad Walking Tour. Join a ranger from Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on a free walking tour around downtown Cambridge and discover the stories of the Underground Railroad and the people associated with Harriet Tubman’s life. (Sept. 3, Cambridge)
We Walk with Harriet History Walks. Narrated history tours in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties which include walking, sailing, and horse and buggy rides. (Sept. 3 – 5, Sept. 24 – 26, led by Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center)
Beacon of Hope. A new 12-foot bronze sculpture of Harriet Tubman, created by Wesley Wofford Sculpture Studio, will be dedicated at the Dorchester County Courthouse, a former site of slave auctions and a daring escape to freedom engineered by Tubman in the mid-1800s. The ceremony will take place during the annual Day of Resilience event. (September 10, Dorchester County Courthouse, Cambridge)
Birding on the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. Join Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends for a guided, self-driven tour. Learn about the life and times of the famed freedom seeker and human rights activist known as “The Moses of Her People,” and experience some of the best birding and Bald Eagle watching on America’s Eastern Seaboard. (September 14, October 12)
Emancipation Day Celebration. Celebrate Harriet Tubman’s decision to self-liberate with programs and activities throughout the day. (Sept. 18, 2022 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center, Church Creek)

Plan your travels through this Tubman Byway website. Download the free Tubman Byway audio guide complete with new AR/VR experiences. Download the free Tubman Byway Map & Guide. Share your travel highlights on social media using the hashtag #MDinFocus and #Tubman200.

NOTE: The image here shows “Take My Hand,” a mural created by artist Michael Rosato. You can see it at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center, Stop #5 on the Tubman Byway in Cambridge, Maryland.

Special events set for International Underground Railroad Month in SeptemberJill Jasuta2022-09-02T12:19:40-04:00

27 08, 2021

Events celebrate September as International Underground Railroad Month

Jill Jasuta2022-02-03T11:29:04-05:00

Photo by Christyl O’Flaherty; with second photographer Tchanavia Lastie and third photographer Aaron Searcy

September is International Underground Railroad Month here in Maryland! The month acknowledges the significance of the Underground Railroad, and all those involved, for its contribution to the eradication of slavery in the United States and as a cornerstone for a more comprehensive civil rights movement that followed. September also marks the self liberation of two of Maryland’s freedom fighters, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.

This is the third year that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has declared September as International Underground Railroad Month, recognizing the state as the “most powerful Underground Railroad storytelling destination in the world.” It’s also the month when Harriet Tubman made her first attempt to escape slavery (Sept. 17) and when Frederick Douglass self-liberated himself in Baltimore (Sept. 3). One way to mark the month is to take the road trip known as the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway. This self-guided, scenic driving tour includes more than 30 sites, many of them with outdoor markers or interpretive signs that share the story of that place.

“Maryland’s Underground Railroad had so many inspirational freedom seekers whose stories can be explored today through unique attractions, historical sites, and programming,” said Gov. Hogan. “While Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass are two well-known freedom fighters, International Underground Railroad Month honors all the brave men, women, and children who fought for freedom.”

Here are some of the events happening along the Tubman Byway this month:

Day of Resilience

The Third Annual Day of Resilience on Sept. 11-12 in Cambridge, Maryland, will commemorate the theme, “Honoring our Ancestors by Reconnecting with Our Roots,” and will feature Ambassador Sidique Wai of Sierra Leone as the keynote speaker during a Town Hall Meeting on Africa. The event happens along the Harriet Tubman Byway. There’s a fashion show, live music, and more. Details

Emancipation Day at the Tubman Visitor Center

Honor Harriet Tubman’s self-emancipation on Sept. 19 at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center (Stop #13 along the Tubman Byway). The day includes birding, storytelling, talks on the Underground Railroad and the archaeology of the Ben Ross homesite, family fun, Junior Ranger activities, and more. 10am-3pm.

Tours of the byway by boat, kayak, and on foot

In celebration of Underground Railroad Month, Harriet Tubman Tours and Delmarva Birding Weekends are partnering with local outfitters to explore the Tubman Byway on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Southern Delaware by boat, kayak and on foot. September is also a great month for experiencing fall migration, so the birding on these trips should be spectacular. Check out the tours happening on Sept. 10, Sept. 15, Sept. 16, and Sept. 30. Get details and sign up before they sell out.

Walking tour of Frederick Douglass in Cambridge

Join a walking tour that will share the importance of two visits Frederick Douglass made to Cambridge, Maryland in 1877 and 1878. The tour will start at Long Wharf and conclude on Pine Street in front of Bethel AME Church. There are two tours set for Sept. 4: 10am to 12pm and 1:30 to 3:30pm. Details

A Walk in the Woods at Peter’s Neck

Enjoy a guided two-mile walk in the woods through the Peter’s Neck district, near the homesite of Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman’s father on Sunday, Sept. 26. Discover what life was like for the communities that helped raise Harriet Tubman.

Participants will meet at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center (4068 Golden Hill Rd, Church Creek, MD 21622) at 1pm and will be shuttled to Peter’s Neck, within the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Please bring a mask for the shuttle ride. Participants are also encouraged to wear boots and bring bug spray and bottled water.

To register for this inaugural program, contact Ranger Cierra at 410-221-2290 ext. 1144. Registration is required and space is limited.

NOTE: The amazing photo above (yes, it’s a photo!) is a re-enactment inspired by the “Harriet” movie. It was spearheaded by photographer Christyl O’Flaherty, along with second photographer Tchanavia Lastie and third photographer Aaron Searcy. Learn more about this powerful photo series.

Events celebrate September as International Underground Railroad MonthJill Jasuta2022-02-03T11:29:04-05:00