by Carl Baker on 2014-06-25
As part of the A.K. Smiley Public Library's third annual Library Days Celebration, educator Darcel Cannady-Jamerson was presented with the opportunity to deliver a 20-minute living history portrayal of famed abolitionist/Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman.
The free presentation took place in the Lincoln Shrine, located at 125 W. Vine St. in Redlands.
Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet Tubman escaped to freedom in the North and over the next 11 years she returned repeatedly below the Mason-Dixon line to help others escape slavery via the so-called Underground Railroad. She also advocated for abolitionism and assisted John Brown prior to his raid on Harpers Ferry. With the outbreak of the American Civil War, Tubman ventured to South Carolina to assist the Union military as both a guide and spy.
“Harriet Tubman is one of the great heroes of the American Civil War,” noted Lincoln Shrine Director Don McCue. “I've had the pleasure of experiencing Ms. Cannady-Jamerson’s compelling presentation. We’re thrilled that she will be able to grace our Library Days Celebration with her performance.”
An educator with the Riverside County school district, Cannady-Jamerson's has performed first person presentations of Tubman in Riverside and elsewhere.