Thursday, April 21, 2016

2020 is just around the corner





I have always loved poetry by Langston Hughes.  Soon I was reading everything I could by him or about him.  When I read “A Pictorial History of African Americans” I read a quote he had used in reference to Harriet Tubman. I can’t seem to find the quote, but it had to do with planting apple trees.   As a child slave she was not allowed to eat apples off the trees. She said she had wanted to grow several apple trees so that she would have enough to share.  After having escaped and helping several others to escape she settled up north.  She had planted and grew apple trees on her estate in Auburn, New York.
 
            I was fascinated by Harriet Tubman and read all I could about her.  Several years later, I remember Kayla coming home from Snow College for a visit.  She mentioned that she’d been given an assignment to do a report on a historical figure.  The instructor of her class had encouraged the students to come up with someone more original than George Washington – in other words, someone who hadn’t been overdone.

            I jumped all over with ideas of my own.  Why not do Harriet Tubman?  First of all, when one is told to think of a historical figure, most people at that time would think of a man.  I also think it’s a safe guess that most students attending the class would also go with someone who was of Caucasian background.  I thought Harriet Tubman would be an excellent choice, thus Kayla reluctantly agreed, and my mom and I worked on her report before Kayla returned to Ephraim.




            This morning Roland and I were watching the news and learned that the 20-dollar bill picture of Andrew Jackson will be replaced by Harriet Tubman.  I think that is awesome!  Good for America!

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