EDITORIAL: Story of Harriet Tubman must be told; Turner Center highly commended

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The story of Harriet Tubman must be told over and over again. 

It is an American story.

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It is a story that must never be forgotten. 

It the narrative of Black America. 

And now the story is coming to life on the stage of the Valdosta Performing Arts Center located on Barack Obama Boulevard, thanks to the Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta City Schools  and generous sponsors who realize the importance of not forgetting our past. 

“Harriet Tubman & the Underground Railroad” will be performed by the Virginia Repertory Theatre, Friday, Feb. 4 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. 

Harriet Tubman changed lives. 

She saved lives.

Her story, her courage and perseverance, rising from the ashes of the darkest chapter in American history, should inspire all of us. 

Harriet Tubman, Araminta Ross, ‘Minty,’ personally liberated about 70 people on the Underground Railroad and made more than a dozen harrowing trips, but in reality she saved hundreds, if not tens of thousands, by helping to pave the way to freedom. 

She was born in slavery and brutalized. 

But after she escaped, she risked her own life over and over again to save others. 

What you may not know is that her heroism did not stop after her run on the Underground Railroad. She was one of the nation’s most important and influential abolitionists, joined the Union Army during the Civil War, later was a leader in the women’s suffrage movement and helped build freedmen’s schools to educate former slaves.  

The performance coming to the Performing Arts Center has been described as “a musical history lesson.”

It is an important commentary on our community that this dark, but inspirational, chapter of our history is being presented here. 

Embracing our diversity, promoting equity, inclusion and belonging make us all stronger, and facing our history, even the most unflattering and disgusting parts of it, only makes us better. 

We cannot commend the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts highly enough for realizing the importance of this story. We are equally proud of the Valdosta City Schools for embracing the performance. 

Incredibly, the event is free to the public thanks to the generosity of Publix Super Markets Charities, Greater Valdosta United Way, Center for the Arts Guild and the City of Valdosta. Two 60-minute performances for VCS eighth-graders will also take place during the school day and students will receive an interactive study guide with engaging activities about this historic event that can supplement school curriculum. Anyone can download the study guide at turnercenter.org.

The evening performance for the community is free but it will be first come, first serve. 

We encourage everyone, regardless of age, race, ethnicity or ideology to attend and prepare to be inspired. 

Thank you, Turner Center and Valdosta City Schools.