The Beacon of Hope: Harriet Tubman Monument (Cambridge, Maryland)
Dublin Core
Title
The Beacon of Hope: Harriet Tubman Monument (Cambridge, Maryland)
Subject
Subject (Topic)
Antislavery movements--United States
Enslaved persons--Emancipation
Freedom
Maryland--Cambridge
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad
Antislavery movements--United States
Enslaved persons--Emancipation
Freedom
Maryland--Cambridge
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad
Subject (Name)
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Subject (Object Type):
Commemorative sculpture
Commemorative sculpture
Description
Facing true North, a bronze monument of Harriet Tubman and her younger self, Araminta Ross, stands atop a granite base. With her right foot planted firmly on an oxen yoke, Tubman uses her left foot to propel herself upward. She gazes into the eyes of Araminta Ross, handing her a golden key. Tubman's right hand is raised, encircled by a rose compass—both adorned in gold leaf. Araminta Ross’ hand hovers over the key as she looks up at Harriet Tubman. She is seated atop countless chains and shackles, some open and others closed. The base features rugged steps on either side of the figures, with inscriptions on both the front and back. Parallel to the monument, an open-faced book atop a podium presents an overview of Tubman's life. The back of the podium features the sculptor Wesley Wofford's description of the monument in his own words.
Creator
Wofford, Wesley, 1972-
Source
Photograph: Jill Jasuta
Date
September 10, 2022
Contributor
Rock of Ages (granite base); William V. Sipple & Son Monuments (base engraving); Alpha Genesis Community Development Corporation (funder); The City of Cambridge (granite base); Dorchester County Government (site preparation)
Rights
City of Cambridge, 410 Academy Street, Cambridge, Maryland, 21613, United States
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
Dorchester County Circuit Courthouse, 206 High Street Cambridge, Maryland, 21613, United States
Has Part
Inscription on the front of the base:
HARRIET TUBMAN
BORN ARAMINTA ROSS 1822
DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND
Inscription on the back of the base:
ARAMINTA ROSS, ENSLAVED CHILD OF THIS LAND NOURISHED BY THE LOVE OF HER FAMILY FORTIFIED BY HER COMMUNITY AND GOD EDUCATED BY MOTHER NATURE FORGED BY FATHER TIME COURAGES OF HEART, OBSERVER OF INJUSTICE EYES SKYWARD, DESTINY’S KEY IN HAND DAUGHTER OF SLAVERY, NOW HARRIET TUBMAN LEADER TO FREED . . . OUR NORTH STAR
Left (verso) page of the inscription on the book atop the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
Harriet Tubman (c. March 1822 – March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist, political activist, liberator, nurse, war hero and human rights advocate. Born Araminta Ross to enslaved parents in Dorchester County, Maryland, she made the treacherous journey north in 1849, hoping to escape slavery and the constant fear of being sold south. She settled in Philadelphia and changed her name to Harriet, after her mother. Soon thereafter, despite the danger, Tubman returned to Maryland to rescue her family. One of her first daring rescues was from here, the site of the Dorchester County Courthouse. She subsequently made at least 13 missions to liberate approximately 70 enslaved people, using a network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
Right (recto) page of the inscription on the book atop the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
It was Tubman’s experiences in Dorchester County — both horrific slavery and love of God and family — that were the basis for forming her into the woman she became. Her legacy and her commitment to the ideals of true freedom and equality have made her an icon of courage and determination that is still relevant today. The impetus for this sculpture came during a tumultuous time for our country, a time of heightened social unrest coupled with a deadly pandemic. Yet, in Dorchester County, a grassroots movement arose, uniting a diverse community inspired by our shared admiration and respect for Tubman’s legacy. Two hundred years after Tubman’s birth, we unveiled “The Beacon of Hope” in 2022, celebrating our common experiences and shared values that form a foundation of respect and admiration to build a more equitable future.
Inscription on the back of the Tubman biographical bronze podium, artist statement:
HARRIET TUBMAN The Beacon of Hope Not far from here, Araminta Ross was struck in the head with a scale counterweight at the Bucktown General Store, an injury she attributed to her having visions. In many ways this event marked the beginning of Harriet Tubman’s own storied journey towards freedom which resulted in the liberation of hundreds of other enslaved people. As young Araminta lifted herself from the ground, she had her first vision of the strong woman she would become. The sculpture depicts Harriet reaching down to help her younger self up and offering her a key to remove the shackle from her little arm. Also, with this “generational key” Araminta unlocked her inner strength to forge her own destiny: the rebirth of Araminta Ross as Harriet Tubman.
The oxen yoke is a metaphor for the yoke of slavery and Harriet crushes this broken obstacle to the point of snapping it. It also illustrates Dorchester County’s legendary story of young Minty single handedly steering a team of oxen for her father. The pilled shackles and chains depict all of the lives adversely affected by the scourge of slavery. The open shackles represent those freed by Harriet while the locked ones depict those left behind. The close manacles also symbolize the unfinished work ahead of us essential to achieving a just and equitable future for all. While Harriet used the North Star to navigate out of bondage, she then became the compass rose to the thousands of enslaved who followed her guiding to Freedom
— Wesley Wofford, FNSS Sculptor
Transcription of audio that plays from QR code on the back of the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
Hello, my name is Wesley Wofford. I'm the sculptor of the Beacon of Hope, the statue where you are currently standing. I just wanted to point out a couple of special things about the statue for you to discover as you walk around it. This is an origin story statue of Harriet Tubman, so Araminta Ross was born an enslaved child here in Dorchester County. There was an event in the Bucktown General Store where she was hit in the head with a two-pound weight; and, I invite you to find the two-pound weights lying at her feet; and, in that moment, she was knocked on conscious and she attributes that event to her future visions. She also attributes that event to becoming Harriet Tubman. So this sculpture is about the young Araminta Ross having her first vision and the vision is of her future self giving her the inner strength to forge her own destiny. Look for the key. There's a generational key and it's also a key that will unlock the shackle on her arm. There's lots of symbolism built into the piece, but it's meant so that it can be reinterpreted by the viewers and their own perspectives. I invite you to use your own perspectives to find something meaningful in the sculpture that directly relates to you. The other part of the story of the statue is that Harriet Tubman used the North Star to navigate out of Cambridge to freedom and she later became that North Star for others to follow; thus, the transformation of her hand into the North Star via the symbol of a rose compass, and so she becomes a symbol of strength that we can all draw from two hundred years later.
HARRIET TUBMAN
BORN ARAMINTA ROSS 1822
DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND
Inscription on the back of the base:
ARAMINTA ROSS, ENSLAVED CHILD OF THIS LAND NOURISHED BY THE LOVE OF HER FAMILY FORTIFIED BY HER COMMUNITY AND GOD EDUCATED BY MOTHER NATURE FORGED BY FATHER TIME COURAGES OF HEART, OBSERVER OF INJUSTICE EYES SKYWARD, DESTINY’S KEY IN HAND DAUGHTER OF SLAVERY, NOW HARRIET TUBMAN LEADER TO FREED . . . OUR NORTH STAR
Left (verso) page of the inscription on the book atop the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
Harriet Tubman (c. March 1822 – March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist, political activist, liberator, nurse, war hero and human rights advocate. Born Araminta Ross to enslaved parents in Dorchester County, Maryland, she made the treacherous journey north in 1849, hoping to escape slavery and the constant fear of being sold south. She settled in Philadelphia and changed her name to Harriet, after her mother. Soon thereafter, despite the danger, Tubman returned to Maryland to rescue her family. One of her first daring rescues was from here, the site of the Dorchester County Courthouse. She subsequently made at least 13 missions to liberate approximately 70 enslaved people, using a network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad.
Right (recto) page of the inscription on the book atop the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
It was Tubman’s experiences in Dorchester County — both horrific slavery and love of God and family — that were the basis for forming her into the woman she became. Her legacy and her commitment to the ideals of true freedom and equality have made her an icon of courage and determination that is still relevant today. The impetus for this sculpture came during a tumultuous time for our country, a time of heightened social unrest coupled with a deadly pandemic. Yet, in Dorchester County, a grassroots movement arose, uniting a diverse community inspired by our shared admiration and respect for Tubman’s legacy. Two hundred years after Tubman’s birth, we unveiled “The Beacon of Hope” in 2022, celebrating our common experiences and shared values that form a foundation of respect and admiration to build a more equitable future.
Inscription on the back of the Tubman biographical bronze podium, artist statement:
HARRIET TUBMAN The Beacon of Hope Not far from here, Araminta Ross was struck in the head with a scale counterweight at the Bucktown General Store, an injury she attributed to her having visions. In many ways this event marked the beginning of Harriet Tubman’s own storied journey towards freedom which resulted in the liberation of hundreds of other enslaved people. As young Araminta lifted herself from the ground, she had her first vision of the strong woman she would become. The sculpture depicts Harriet reaching down to help her younger self up and offering her a key to remove the shackle from her little arm. Also, with this “generational key” Araminta unlocked her inner strength to forge her own destiny: the rebirth of Araminta Ross as Harriet Tubman.
The oxen yoke is a metaphor for the yoke of slavery and Harriet crushes this broken obstacle to the point of snapping it. It also illustrates Dorchester County’s legendary story of young Minty single handedly steering a team of oxen for her father. The pilled shackles and chains depict all of the lives adversely affected by the scourge of slavery. The open shackles represent those freed by Harriet while the locked ones depict those left behind. The close manacles also symbolize the unfinished work ahead of us essential to achieving a just and equitable future for all. While Harriet used the North Star to navigate out of bondage, she then became the compass rose to the thousands of enslaved who followed her guiding to Freedom
— Wesley Wofford, FNSS Sculptor
Transcription of audio that plays from QR code on the back of the Tubman biographical bronze podium:
Hello, my name is Wesley Wofford. I'm the sculptor of the Beacon of Hope, the statue where you are currently standing. I just wanted to point out a couple of special things about the statue for you to discover as you walk around it. This is an origin story statue of Harriet Tubman, so Araminta Ross was born an enslaved child here in Dorchester County. There was an event in the Bucktown General Store where she was hit in the head with a two-pound weight; and, I invite you to find the two-pound weights lying at her feet; and, in that moment, she was knocked on conscious and she attributes that event to her future visions. She also attributes that event to becoming Harriet Tubman. So this sculpture is about the young Araminta Ross having her first vision and the vision is of her future self giving her the inner strength to forge her own destiny. Look for the key. There's a generational key and it's also a key that will unlock the shackle on her arm. There's lots of symbolism built into the piece, but it's meant so that it can be reinterpreted by the viewers and their own perspectives. I invite you to use your own perspectives to find something meaningful in the sculpture that directly relates to you. The other part of the story of the statue is that Harriet Tubman used the North Star to navigate out of Cambridge to freedom and she later became that North Star for others to follow; thus, the transformation of her hand into the North Star via the symbol of a rose compass, and so she becomes a symbol of strength that we can all draw from two hundred years later.
Has Version
Wesley Wofford made a traveling version of this monument without the figure of young Araminta Ross. Instead, Harriet Tubman looks and holds her hand out to the public. See Traveling Exibition: Harriet Tubman - The Beacon of Hope in this database.
Extent
156 in. (396.24 cm)
Medium
Bronze; Blue gray granite; Gold leaf; Concrete; Brick
Bibliographic Citation
“‘Beacon of Hope’ Statue Honors Tubman in Her Homeland.” Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, May 21, 2024. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://harriettubmanbyway.org/new-beacon-of-hope-harriet-tubman-statue-finds-permanent-home-in-her-homeland/.
Miller, Lauren. “The Beacon of Hope Statue Has Been Unveiled.” WBOC, September 10, 2022. Accessed August 7, 2024. https://www.wboc.com/news/the-beacon-of-hope-statue-has-been-unveiled/article_0bb23378-316c-11ed-91b1-8fe4ec0d16d4.html.
Rights Holder
Renée Ater
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Sculpture
Physical Dimensions
156 in. (396.24 cm)
Collection
Citation
Wofford, Wesley, 1972-, “The Beacon of Hope: Harriet Tubman Monument (Cambridge, Maryland),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1244.