Harriet’s Legacy Today: Strength, Courage & Triumph

10/22/19 • 23 min

In this episode, we pull Harriet’s story and the story of the African American experience in 19th Century America right through to the present. We talk about why a movie like Harriet is so important to us as Americans at this time.

In this episode we heard from historians Ed Ayers, Elvatrice Belschese, Jessica Millward (Finding Charity's Folk), Catherine Clinton (Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom) and Erica Armstrong Dunbar (She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman). We also heard from Niya Bates and Gayle Jessup White from Jefferson’s Monticello, Christian Cotz from Madison’s Montpelier, Stephanie Arduini of the American Civil War Museum, Kasi Lemmons, director of the new Focus Features biopic called Harriet, and Malcolm “Jamie” Jamieson, who owns the Berkeley Plantation where parts of the film were shot.

If you’d like to learn more about visiting places that tell the story of Harriet Tubman, The Underground Railroad and the 19th Century African American experience, especially in the state of Virginia, go to https://www.virginia.org/harriet.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

”Following Harriet” is sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Film Office. Special research thanks to the Black History Museum in Richmond and the City of Petersburg, Virginia and the Petersburg Preservation Task Force.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

Previous Episode

The Enslaved & the Virginia Freedom Seekers

As we learn about Harriet Tubman, we not only peer into the incredible life of one of our country’s most iconic heroes, we also get a better understanding of the broader experience for African Americans in the 19th Century.

In this episode, we travel to museums throughout Virginia and to the presidential homes of Thomas Jefferson (Monticello) and James Madison (Montpelier) to hear how the stories of that African American experience are being told today.

We hear from Eola Dance and Robin Reed from Fort Monroe, historians Ed Ayers of the Backstory history podcast and Elvatrice Belsches, Niya Bates and Gayle Jessup White from Jefferson’s Monticello. Christian Cotz from Madison’s Montpelier and Stephanie Arduini of the American Civil War Museum.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

Next Episode

Bonus: Musician Rhiannon Giddens on Harriet

This bonus episode is a condensed version of our interview with musician, artist and activist Rhiannon Giddens. She’s a Grammy-winner, and you might know her as a founding member of the band Carolina Chocolate Drops.

As we were really examining the experience of African Americans in the 19th Century, we discovered Rhiannon’s song, “At the Purchaser’s Option.”

Rhiannon was inspired to write this song after seeing an advertisement where a man was attempting to sell a young woman he had enslaved. The end of the ad said that the young woman for sale had a nine month old baby who was “at the purchaser’s option.”

We talk to Rhiannon here about the song, her music and Harriet Tubman.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

”Following Harriet” is sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Film Office.