Tell me about Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman Commemoration March 10th, 2023

The Episcopal church gathered on zoom March 10th for a new observance of the witness of Harriet Ross Tubman, honoring her 110 years after the day of her death, as one of the great cloud of witnesses that we pray will guide our faith. You can view our conversation with Dr. Milton Sernett and Dean Sandye Wilson here. 

See below for videos that begin our celebrations: meditations, a new story of her life for children and adults, and wonderings that call out Auntie Harriet's Christian witness. We're especially honored to share this video from Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, who call's the church into this new commemoration. 

Wonder with us!

There are plenty of resources out there to learn about the history of Auntie Harriet much better than we can offer. But what we hope to do in this celebration is bring our church community deeper into wondering and marveling at Auntie Harriet’s faithful Christian witness. 

• We wonder how Auntie Harriet had the courage to do dangerous things?

• We wonder what Auntie Harriet would say about this commemoration by the Episcopal Church?

• We wonder what Auntie Harriet teaches us about our faith today?

• We wonder, if Auntie Harriet could hear our stories, what else she would want us to know, or what things she’d tell us we’d misunderstood?

About the Presenters

Rev. Will Bouvel and Jen Holt Enriquez are honored to have created these offerings to lift up the unstoppable Christian witness of Harriet Tubman. They bring a unique perspective to her story, grounded from their other work Dismantling Racism through faith, called Tell Me the Truth About Racism (learn more here). Their stories explore how systemic racism tells all people a lie about who they are, because it says that some people are better than others because of the color of their skin. We know the Truth from God that all people are equally loved. So anything that says anyone is better than another for any reason distorts us away from the people of God we might know ourselves to be. They are excited to have been commissioned to create a new story just about Harriet as part of this celebration. Learn more about them here and how they as white people feel called into the work of dismantling racism. 

About this Commemoration

At general convention in 2022, the Episcopal Church adopted resolution no. C-007, naming March 10 of each year the day that the church would collectively remember Harriet Tubman.  March 10, 1913 was the date of her death.  March 10, 2023 was the first time for a collective celebration in the Episcopal Church. See here for readings and collects assigned by the church to collectively honor Harriet Tubman in worship that day.