The Traveling Exhibition: Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom (Montgomery, Alabama)

The Traveling Exhibition: Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom (Montgomery, Alabama)

Subject (Topic)
Alabama--Montgomery
Antislavery movements--United States
Enslaved persons--Emancipation
Freedom
Public art
Public sculpture
Underground Railroad

Subject (Name):
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913

Subject (Object Type):
Commemorative sculpture

The sculpture depicts Harriet Tubman and a young girl caught in brisk motion against the wind, navigating treacherous terrain. Tubman’s left foot rests on an elevated platform, propelling them forward while her right foot pushes upward toward the incline. She grips the collar of her jacket with her left hand, as her right arm twists back to support the girl following behind her. The girl holds Tubman’s right arm with her left hand and grasps Tubman's right index finger between her thumb and forefinger. Tubman’s skirt partially covers the girl’s lower half. Near the girl’s bare feet lie a set of broken shackles.

This monument was created in 2020 with the intention of traveling across the United States. Since then, the monument has traveled to the following locations: The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion in Montgomery, Alabama (2020); Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May, New Jersey (2020 and 2021); Dorchester County Courthouse in Cambridge, Maryland (2020); Newburgh Free Library in Newburgh, New York (2020); Jan Peek Square in Peekskill, New York (2020); Halifax State Historic Site in Halifax, North Carolina (2021); Haverstraw African American Memorial Park in Haverstraw, New York (2021); Bridge Park in Sylva, North Carolina (2021); Philadelphia City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2022); Renaissance Plaza in White Plains, New York (2022); The Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, New York (2022); Washington Square Park in Rochester, New York (2022); Ulster County Office Building in Kingston, New York (2022-2023); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (2023); Button Farm Living History Center in Germantown, Maryland (2023); The Frampton Plantation House in Yemassee, South Carolina (2023); Joseph Rainey Park in Georgetown, South Carolina (2023); Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina (2023-2024); Legacy Plaza in Montgomery, Alabama (2024); The Kerr Community Center in Bastrop, Texas (2024); and the International African American Museum in Charlestown, South Carolina (2024). Additional locations are scheduled for 2025 and beyond. For the sake of clarity, CMSP has decided to document this monument only once, based on the details from its initial unveiling.

Wofford, Wesley, 1972-

Photograph by Wofford Sculpture Studios

January 28, 2020

Wesley Wofford, Wofford Sculpture Studio, P.O. Box 2927, Cashiers, North Carolina, 28717, United States

JPEG

English

Visual Arts-Sculpture

The Equal Justice Initiative Legacy Pavilion, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, Alabama, 36104, United States

Inscription on the front of the base:
THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM

Inscription on the back of the base:
HARRIET TUBMAN Beside the monument, a plaque reads: HARRIET TUBMAN - THE JOURNEY TO FREEDOM

Artist Statement:
“In 1858, Harriet Tubman bravely returned to the slave state of Maryland to lead an 8-year-old girl to the free state of New York via the Underground Railroad network. Harriet later adopted the girl and there is speculation that she was Harriet's actual daughter or niece. I used this story as a launching point of historical reference around which I built the composition. The contours of the base are the Maryland/Delaware Peninsula where Harriet was originally enslaved and to which she frequently returned for her freedom raids. The dramatic ledge represents the Mason-Dixon line into free Pennsylvania, an important milestone in the journey to freedom.

Harriet is leaning into the wind with her shoulder; eyes cut formidably up, bracing herself against the elements. The wind illustrates the peril of the journey and serves as a metaphor for the intense opposition she faced. Harriet's dress is protectively enveloping the girl. Her skirt, billowing like a flag, signifies the legal protections afforded to every United States citizen and a symbol of the future equality to come. Each hand on the sculpture expresses an attribute: Determination, Protection, Fear, and Trust. With a look of trepidation, the child is leaning out to get a better sense of what lies ahead. She holds Harriet's finger affectionately, her cautious hope echoed in her delicate grip. The child is off-balance and tentatively taking a step forward, her foot precariously close to the edge of the cliff. The shackles are broken; they have left the bonds of slavery behind them.”

Wesley Wofford, FNSS
Wofford Sculpture Studio
www.woffordsculpturestudio.com

108 in. (274.32 cm)

Bronze

Wofford, Wesley. “Harriet Tubman - The Journey to Freedom - Wofford Sculpture Studio.” Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.woffordsculpturestudio.com/exhibitions/harriet-tubman.

Welsh, Mickey. "The New Harriet Tubman Statue at the EJI Pavilion." Montgomery Advertiser, February 1, 2020. Accessed August 13, 2024. https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/picture-gallery/news/local/2020/02/01/new-harriet-tubman-statue-eji-pavilion/4633204002/.

Renée Ater

Sculpture

108 in. (274.32 cm)