Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Mother Harriet Ross Tubman Davis, the Underground Railroad's most skillful conductor, is famed in different literary and historical quarters for having freed at the most 300 freedom seekers and at the least 70 liberty lovers; but as my late Grandmama Anna Pearl would say, "Honeychile, you don't know the half!"

Those freedom lovers she liberated, with the assistance of the fearless abolitionist, Colonel James Montgomery and the 300 Black soldiers who accompanied them--yes, on that Combahee River Raid on June 2, 1863 in South Carolina...well, hold your hats, sailors, there were 750 Gullah/Geechee FORMER ricefield slaves who gleefully hopped aboard that boat and sailed with the good "Mama Moses" and crew to freedom. Those souls who sailed should ALWAYS be counted in
the freedom numbers. She became the first woman to lead a military expedition in U. S. history and a first class liberator of those who longed to taste freedom. Uh-oh! You go, Mama Moses! Wow!

They (the media of the day) tried to give all of the credit to the good Colonel Montgomery, but we know well who should really take the bow. The same saintly one whose statue stands not only on American soil, but also now in Ghana, the homeland of her ancestors.

And Nana Tubman, you walked, you rode, you sailed, you crawled, you ran guiding countless ones to freedom, but in August of 2005, your Spirit flew with your descendants and us Nana Tubman Honor in Ghana travelers for your rewards on those ancestral shores. As the enslaved songwriter penned, "Great day, what a morning!" Take your long-deserved bow from the freedom shores of Heaven, Nana. You are still ever so loved and appreciated. Truly.

And folks, do mosey over to the website ...and take a look at the Nana Tubman statue standing so proudly in Ghana--and yes, before you even have to ask--a video and dvd are available of the journey, so you can armchair on that herstorycal journey from the comfort of your home. Info on that is also on the site.

Ever celebrating the Maryland-born Mama Moses...