Supporters of proposed Harriet Tubman national historical parks
take their case to Washington, Sept. 14
'Harriet on the Hill' features rally, Congressional meetings
Washington, D.C. (Sept. 12)—Two busloads of residents from Maryland's Eastern Shore, will travel to Washington, D.C., Wednesday, Sept. 14, for "Harriet on the Hill," an event where they will advocate for passage of federal legislation that would create national historical parks – in both Maryland and New York – in honor of Harriet Tubman, the prominent conductor of the Underground Railroad.
More than 100 proponents of the Senate bill (S.247) – including descendants of Tubman, Morgan State University and University of Maryland Eastern Shore students and supporters from Auburn, NY – plan to discuss Tubman's legacy and the economic benefits of establishing the two parks with members of Congress during the "Harriet on the Hill" schedule.
"I am pleased to support Harriet on the Hill day to advocate for two national historical parks to honor such a great and courageous Marylander," said Governor Martin O'Malley. "Like Marylanders today, Harriet Tubman understood that we progress as a people not on the weakness, but on the strength of our neighbors. Together, with the help of our federal partners, we can educate and share the story of how Tubman and those like her changed the course of American history so our children and theirs will understand the importance of her life and legacy."
The pending legislation would establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on Maryland's Eastern Shore, where Tubman was born, lived and traveled during her work to free enslaved people in the region. It designates Maryland's Harriet Tubman State Park, which will open in 2013 with the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor's Center, as a national park. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.) was instrumental in obtaining nearly $1 million for the state in Housing and Urban Development funding for the project. A Maryland park would include land in Dorchester, Caroline and Talbot counties.
Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.), a co-author of Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act, S. 247, plans to welcome the Tubman supporters at a noontime "Harriet on the Hill" luncheon in the U.S. Capitol Building (Room SVC 212-210).
"Harriet on the Hill day shows that there is strong support for the creation of two national historic parks to honor the legacy of Harriet Tubman, a true American patriot, for whom liberty and freedom were not just concepts," said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. "Harriet Tubman lived the principles of freedom and liberty and she shared that freedom with hundreds of others. These two parks will make it possible for Marylanders and the entire nation to trace her life's work and remember all that she was able to accomplish."
Federal support would supplement the cost of operation, management and interpretation of the visitor center and park. It also allows the Maryland Park Service, National Park Service and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to jointly manage and protect the natural landscapes of the Tubman park while adding promotional value for the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.
"Tubman's spirit of determination is instilled in those who wish to commemorate and honor her today and forever," said Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson Stanley. "This long-awaited project of national significance is extremely important to the residents of the Eastern Shore and supporters of Tubman's courageous life."
Once the visitor center opens, state officials expect visitation to the park to grow to more than 200,000 annually. They anticipate the park to have a long-term economic impact of $20 million each year.
The U.S. Senate bill additionally calls for a Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, N.Y., where Tubman was an activist for the women's suffrage movement and the welfare of aged African-Americans.
For more information on the proposed legislation and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad 2013 initiative, visit www.harriettubmanbyway.org.
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Note to editors/producers:
A brief rally will be held prior to the Congressional meetings on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building at approximately 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 14.
For interviews and photo opportunities, the buses will arrive at approximately 8 a.m. in front of the Capitol Building on Garfield Circle at the intersection of First Street and Maryland Avenue, S.W. Supporters will disembark the bus led by a Harriet Tubman re-enactor. The noon luncheon hosted by Sen. Cardin is open to the media.
Available for interviews:
- U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
- Patricia Ross Hawkins, Tubman descendant
- Mayor Victoria Jackson Stanley, City of Cambridge
- Kate Clifford Larson, author, Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero
- Donald Pinder, president of the Harriet Tubman Organization
- Hannah Byron, assistant secretary, Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Office of Tourism, Film and the Arts
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