It was a day of celebration Tuesday for one of Central New York’s most heralded historical figures. Dozens of people reflected on the legacy of Harriet Tubman at the National Historical Park in her name tucked in a neighborhood just southwest of downtown Auburn.
Auburn City Councilor Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson led more than 30 people in song inside the tiny Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church to open a proclamation ceremony, the same church Tubman worshipped in. She died on March 10th 1913, and her funeral was held three days later in the same church. Izzy Craig is a seasonal interpretative ranger with the National Park Service.
“We know that her casket lied in state right at the front behind that baluster," she said. "The church was so full, mourners actually waited outside on the street for the walk to the cemetery. So it was a very well-attended event by both Black and white Auburnians.”
While most know about Tubman’s relentless efforts to free enslaved people through the Underground Railroad, Craig said they might not know as much about her time in Auburn.
“She was connected to so many different charity organizations," she said. "She would collect coats specifically for freed men. She did a lot of work to send things back down south to South Carolina to help the newly freed enslaved individuals who were trying to get a leg up in the world.”
This is the part of Tubman's life in Auburn the park aims to highlight, said Anna Wilson, superintendent of both the Harriet Tubman and Women’s Rights National Historical Parks.
“Really delving into her relationship with the community here and then also her relationship to other human rights campaigns," she said. "For instance, women's suffrage and philanthropic and community support.”
Don Ellis and Dolores Higareda came from Trumansburg for the special commemoration. They, too, recalled stories of Tubman's entrepreneurial spirit.
"She managed to convince her master to allow her to take two oxen and a wagon and she would pass on some of that money to her master. And he agreed," Higareda said. "That was one way she made money, and then she could pass it on to her cause of freeing slaves. I thought that was pretty interesting for a woman at that time, especially a small Black woman."
Ellis is an artist, and his works will be on display in the William Seward House in Auburn in July.
"It's is one of the three things that I've been highlighting in my art these days is Harriet Tubman, the entrepreneur, which carried here to Auburn where she created a home for her family and people that she sheltered."
Ellis said he lived briefly in Auburn a few blocks away from the-now National Historical Park.
Ellis and Higareda said it’s more important than ever to learn about and honor those like Tubman who shaped this country, especially as the Trump administration tries to diminish and erase their existence.
“We should not be erasing it. We should be promoting it and celebrating it," Higareda said.
"I would like to see her on the $20 bill where she belongs," Ellis said.
The plan to re-design the currency with Tubman's likeness dates back to 2016, but has been repeatedly delayed. Treasury officials are reportedly resuming the design process this year, but release isn't expected until 2030.
