The “Harriet Tubman: Journey to Freedom” Statue has been travelling through New York’s Hudson Valley again. Last time it was in White Plains. Now it is in beautiful Kingston, N.Y. It is “a 9-foot, 2,400-pound bronze sculpture created by internationally recognized artist Wesley Wofford, will be on display at the Ulster County Office Building, 204 Fair St. in Kingston, from November 1, 2022, through January 2, 2023,” according to Ulster County. The press release continues:
Wofford, the creator of the statue, said, “There is a lot of embedded symbolism within the narrative of the piece. The contours of the base represent the Maryland/Delaware Peninsula, where Harriet was enslaved, eventually escape, and continued to return for her freedom raids. The dramatic step up/cut is the Pennsylvania state line, and they are stepping out of the slave states to an elevated freedom. The dress is enveloping the young girl, billowing protectively like a flag, and is meant to represent all the legal protections afforded every United States citizen-a symbol of the future equality to come.”
“We know the Hudson Valley was one of the main arteries of the Underground Railroad,” wrote author and historian Fergus Bordewich, referring to the early to mid-1800s when fugitive slaves traveled to freedom with the help of abolitionists. “We know that large numbers of fugitives were sent from Philadelphia to New York City, and up through the valley to Albany and Troy. Most of them were sent onward to Central New York, Vermont, or Massachusetts.”
Here is a schedule of events to mark the arrival of the statue:
Nov. 4
Finding North, a National Endowment for the Arts commissioned play written by David Gonzalez featuring actor Daniel Carlton. 7pm, Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St., 845.331.0080 Ext. 3929
Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros, HUDSON VALLEY PREMIER, 7:30pm, Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main Street, Rosendale. For more info/ ticket purchase: rosendaletheatre.org
Nov. 5
Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros, HUDSON VALLEY PREMIER, 2pm, Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main Street, Rosendale. For more info/ ticket purchase: rosendaletheatre.org
Harriet, a 2019 American biographical film directed by Kasi Lemmons, who also wrote the screenplay with Gregory Allen Howard. Starring Cynthia Erivo as abolitionist Harriet Tubman. 3pm, Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, 845-339-6088
Opening Reception for the exhibition Legacy Reimagined: Ben Wigfall and Communication Village with the Pop-Up Gallery Group (PUGG) and artist Don Christian. Presented by The D.R.A.W. 5-7pm, Harambee Pine Street Burial Ground, 157 Pine St., 845-853-8443
Nov. 6
Church Service “I Listen For God’s Voice” Guest Orator Oliver King (Frederick Douglas) . 10:30am, Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall St., 845-338-6759
A workshop/ritual presented by City of Kingston 2022 Distinguished Artist recipient, Jaguar Mary X. An initiatory experience to help us access the power of Harriet that resides within us. 7pm, Location TBA, 845.331.0080 Ext. 3929
Nov. 10
MyKingstonKids, MidHudson Federal Credit Union & People’s Place present Harriet Tubman Mural in Virtual Reality. 6-9pm, People’s Place, 845-338-3040
Hidden History with Sam Collins. Hidden History will discuss the many buried stories that are being uncovered such as Sugar Land 95, Absolute Equality in the Juneteenth story, United States Colored Troops fight for their own freedom and the finger prints of the enslaved people that surround us. 6pm at Kingston City Hall, 420 Broadway. Samuel Collins III serves on the Board of Advisors with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, President of the Juneteenth Legacy Project, historian and community activists.
Nov. 11
Veterans’ Day. Harriet Tubman was a veteran, as well as many other things. Visit the Veterans’ Memorial right next to the Tubman sculpture.
Nov. 19
My Kingston Kids Red-K Reading Lounge for Harriet Tubman 1- 2:30pm, Pine Street African Burial Ground, 157 Pine St., 845-853-8443
Nov. 22
Film Screening: Black is the Color highlights key moments in the history of African-American visual art, from Edmonia Lewis’s 1867 sculpture Forever Free, to the work of contemporary artists such as Whitfield Lovell, Kerry James Marshall, Ellen Gallagher, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. 6:30-7:30pm The Kingston Library , 55 Franklin St., 845-331-0507
Nov. 26
Sojourner Truth Day
Nov. 29
Community Conversation: Who Has the Right to Art? 6:30- 7:30pm, The Kingston Library, 55 Franklin St., 845-331-0507
Dec. 3
Listening to the Ancestors: Black Abolitionists & Black Feminists Speak. A Literary and Historical Presentation by Ione. Virtual / Hybrid. 2PM, The Kingston Library, 55 Franklin St., 845-331-0507
Dec. 31
Ars Choralis Performance themed for Langston Hughes’ Let America Be America Again. The 150th City of Kingston Anniversary Finale. 7pm, Old Dutch Church, 845-338-6759
Jan. 1
Day One Walk
Jan. 3
Harriet Tubman departs for Lancaster, PA
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