General Harriet Tubman

03/14/2026

02/10/2026

01/25/2026

“Poverty was my mother's midwife. She had her children in poverty. But she also found a road to bring us a sense of purpose, and she taught us how to be valiant in the face of oppression.”

— Harry Belafonte

01/25/2026

Morgan Freeman transformed his 124-acre ranch in Mississippi into a haven for honeybees after becoming deeply concerned about the global decline of pollinators. Beginning around 2014, he brought in dozens of beehives and worked to create an environment where bees could thrive naturally. Rather than treating it like a commercial operation, Freeman focused on sustainability, planting bee-friendly flowers, trees, and plants such as clover, lavender, and magnolia to provide year-round nourishment.

What makes his effort stand out is its intention. Freeman has said he doesn’t harvest the honey or disturb the hives, explaining that his goal is simply to support the bees and let them do what they do best. By turning his land into a sanctuary, he’s using his platform to draw attention to the vital role bees play in ecosystems and food production, showing that meaningful environmental action can start right at home.

01/25/2026

A photograph of Paul Robeson, his wife Essie Robeson, and their son Pauli Robeson in 1944 on the steps of their home in Enfield, Connecticut. Essie and Paul met as students at Columbia University in 1920, and married the next year. Among her accomplishments including becoming the head histological chemist of Surgical Pathology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, the first Black person to hold such a position. She later earned a PhD in anthropology. ❤️🖤💚

01/25/2026

Mattel is introducing a new Barbie doll that honors pioneering activist Opal Lee, known as the "grandmother" of the Juneteenth movement.

For years, Lee, a former teacher, advocated for and raised awareness about Juneteenth. The special holiday, celebrated every year on June 19, marks the day when African American slaves in Galveston, Texas, were told in 1865 that they had been freed, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery and two months after the Civil War ended in April 1865.

https://abcnews.visitlink.me/JBX2O2

01/22/2026

It was taken during a performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo, Mississippi, on September 27, 1956.
​The Story Behind the Image
​The young girl in the photo is Barbara Ester, who was about 12 years old at the time. This moment is particularly significant because it took place in the Jim Crow-era South, where racial segregation was strictly enforced by law and social custom.
​Here are the key details regarding the context of the photo:
​Breaking the Color Line: At the time, public events in Mississippi were segregated. Black fans were typically relegated to separate sections or separate performance times. Barbara Ester had managed to get close to the stage, and when Elvis reached out to shake her hand, it was a public display of affection and respect that defied the rigid racial boundaries of the 1950s South.
​The Policemen: The two policemen visible in the background were part of the security detail for the event. Their presence highlights the tension of the era; while they were there to maintain "order" (which included enforcing segregation), the photo captures a moment of genuine human connection happening right in front of them.
​Elvis’s Upbringing: Elvis grew up in poverty in Tupelo and later Memphis, often living in integrated or predominantly Black neighborhoods. He was deeply influenced by African American gospel, blues, and R&B. Throughout his career, he frequently expressed his admiration for Black musicians and maintained a quiet but firm stance against the racial prejudices of the time.
​Barbara Ester later spoke about the moment, recalling how kind Elvis was and how much it meant to her. For many, this photo serves as a testament to Elvis's personal character and his refusal to let the social prejudices of the day dictate how he treated his fans.

12/15/2025

In 1849, a newspaper ad listed her as "Minty," a runaway worth a meager $300 reward.

By 1860, she was the most effective tactical operator in American history.

Most schoolbooks paint a gentle picture of a woman with a lantern.

But they often leave out the loaded revolver she carried at her waist.

She wasn't just a passenger on the Underground Railroad.

She was a military leader operating behind enemy lines.

Born into bo***ge in Maryland, she suffered a traumatic head injury as a child.

It caused seizures and visions, yet she used these episodes to navigate by instinct and deep faith.

She escaped to Philadelphia alone.

But she couldn't enjoy liberty while her family remained in chains.

So, she went back.

Not once, but 13 separate times.

Modern internet myths often claim there was a massive $40,000 bounty on her head.

The reality is more telling: she was so elusive, most slave catchers didn't even know who they were looking for.

She traveled in deep winter when nights were long.

She used the call of an owl to signal safety to those hiding in the woods.

She carried paregoric to quiet crying babies and a gun to urge wavering adults forward.

"Dead folks tell no tales," she reportedly told a man who wanted to turn back in fear.

He kept walking.

She lead them through freezing rivers.

She lead them through slave-patroled forests.

She lead them to a new life.

By the time she retired her route, she had personally rescued approximately 70 people.

She famously stated she "never lost a passenger."

Today, she is remembered not just as a survivor, but as a warrior who refused to accept the status quo.

She proved that one determined person can dismantle a system of oppression.

She didn't wait for permission to be free.

Sources: History Channel / National Park Service / Smithsonian Magazine

12/12/2025

The Last Witness in Harriet Tubman’s Town

How Pauline Copes Johnson spent a lifetime guarding her aunt’s legacy from a small church in Auburn, New York.

On a gray December morning in Auburn, New York, the announcement came not over cable news or a presidential podium, but through a Facebook post from a small brick church on Parker Street.

“The proud great-great-grandniece of Harriet and lifelong Auburn resident has passed away at the age of 98,” the Harriet Tubman Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church wrote, calling her a “treasured matriarch” and asking for prayers.

Read the full article at https://www.kolumnmagazine.com/2025/12/11/the-last-witness-in-harriet-tubmans-town/

12/04/2025