Harriet Tubman Black History Month Event Set In Yardley

YARDLEY, PA —Harriet Tubman is back.

Shirley Lee Corsey, conservator and executive director of The Gather Place, will present "Harriet Tubman Live!" from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, at the museum on 188 S. Canal St. as part of its Black History Month celebration. (The event was rescheduled for last Saturday due to a storm.)

This first-person portrayal delves into Tubman's entire life journey, from her childhood and escape from slavery to her pivotal role in the Civil War. Discover her interactions with key American history-makers and her later life as a "women's right to vote" activist and humanitarian.

The presentation promises to bring Tubman's inspiring story to life, providing a profound understanding of her remarkable contributions. The program will also include a question and answer session and time for audience participation.

Black History Month began last Thursday and continues through Leap Day on Feb. 29.

Since 1976, every U.S. president has set aside February as a month to celebrate the achievements of African Americans and their role in U.S. history.

African American art is infused with multiple cultural influences, including African, Caribbean and the Black American lived experiences, according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the founder of Black History Month.

These influences are seen in the visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.

The first Black History Month observance was held nearly 100 years ago. Called Negro History Week at the time, it was established by Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson, the son of illiterate former slaves, who believed that the important contributions of Black Americans had been largely overlooked in published accounts of U.S. history.

Revered as the “father of Black History Month,” Woodson established the Association for the Study of African American Life and History in 1915 to create a social scientific collection recording and publicizing the accomplishments of Black Americans.