We Out. Harriet Tubman 1849
For this week's blog post I will share the story of one of our female African American heroes, Harriet Tubman, the eponymous inspiration behind our "We Out" shirt design. Her's is a truly remarkable life journey, an inspiration for the ages, and a reminder of what powerful energies the symbols that we adorn our apparel with can contain.
Born a slave
Harriet Tubman was born into slavery, one of nine children, in the early 1820s in Maryland. At this time the United States was still divided into slave states and free states. Maryland was a slave state. Her childhood was an unhappy one. She was separated from three of her siblings, who were sold to other slave owners; she was beaten and whipped, leaving her with physical scars for life; she was uneducated, and made to work unreasonable hours in unsafe work environments, leading to her once contracting measles; she began having seizures and fits of unconsciousness following a particularly vicious blow she received to her head. But her faith in God was strong. She experienced in her suffering dreams and visions, which she believed to be from God, providing her with solace and resolve.
Escape from slavery
She married John Tubman, a free black man, in about 1844, and, probably on her wedding night, conceived a plan to escape from slavery. By 1849 Harriet was desperate. Often ill, she was afraid that her master would sell her, separating her from her family. Then, one night in 1849, she declared WE OUT. Guided by the North Star, she made her escape on foot. She managed to make her way to the Underground Railroad, a secret network of routes and safe houses used by African American slaves to flee to free states and Canada. She would travel by night, and hide from slave catchers during the day. There were large rewards on offer for capturing escaped slaves. She had to be quick on her feet. She would do things like start sweeping someone's yard to trick bounty hunters into thinking she worked for there. And so she went, from safe house to safe house, through Caroline County, then Delaware and finally into Pennsylvania, a free state.
"Moses"
This wasn't the end of Harriet Tubman's journey. In fact it was only the beginning. She could not enjoy her freedom while her people suffered in slavery. She went back for her friends and family, proceeding to become part of the Underground Railroad, working with Frederick Douglass, and, over the next ten years, helping rescue over 300 slaves from the South. She made multiple trips back to Maryland, rescuing her children, niece and brother among many others. She never lost a single passenger, and was dubbed "Moses" for her efforts in freeing her people from bondage.
I’m glad we made this T shirt to honor her. Every time I see it, I am reminded of her powerful story, reminded that even in the darkest of times, there remain people with the courage and the capacity to do good, even at a personal cost to themselves. If you’re reading from up there, thank you Harriet Tubman. You will forever be an inspiration.
Artwork for this article courtesy of Thomas Blackshear
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