02/19/2019
Auburn: History’s Hometown – Free Event March 10, 2019
First Annual Harriet Tubman Day at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center
Save the date for the First Annual Harriet Tubman Day at the NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center in downtown Auburn. From 12 to 2 PM on Sunday, March 10, 2019, the NYS ERHC invites all to attend a free program honoring the life of the famous abolitionist and former Auburn resident, Harriet Tubman.
Emceed by NewsChannel 9’s Jennifer Sanders, this will be a day of celebration, featuring American historian and Harriet Tubman scholar, Dr. Kate Clifford Larson; Smithsonian music educators, Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino of Magpie; Martha Swan, creator of “Harriet Was Here in My Backyard” project; with special music by Genesee Elementary School students performing the songs written about “Oh, Harriet the Brave,” as featured in the NYS ERHC. The City of Auburn Mayor Michael D. Quill; Pauline Copes Johnson, great-great-grandniece of Harriet Tubman; and other distinguished guests will be in attendance.
In addition to the official program, a selection of local artisans, including Sandra Shutter, #InOurWordsApparel, The Irish Daisy, Gretchen’s Confections, Potatoes & Molasses, will be on site during normal hours of operation from 10 AM to 4 PM selling speciality items to commemorate the day. Visitors can also stroll through the “Seeing Equal Rights in NYS” exhibition where New York State’s progressive history supporting equality comes to life through interactive displays; shop and sample “made in New York” products and edible goodies in the Taste NY Market; and admire the bronze statue of Harriet Tubman in the courtyard—a photograph opportunity not to be missed.
Guests are encouraged to visit neighboring Seward House Museum and the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park at 180 South Street. For this day, the SHM will be open from 1 to 5 PM with tours beginning on the hour until 4 PM; the Museum is offering a discounted rate of $5, and children under age 6 are free. In addition to being a stop on the Underground Railroad, the Seward House was home for a time to Margaret Stewart, who may have been Tubman’s daughter. A National Park Service Ranger will be on staff at the Harriet Tubman Park to give visitors a guided walking tour of the property, including the Visitor Center, Home for the Aged, and brick residence, where Tubman lived with her family until her death on March 10, 1913.
The family friendly event, in collaboration with the Harriet Tubman Boosters and Genesee Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Partnership, falls in alignment with Maryland sister site the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center’s two-year anniversary, making it a collective day of commeration between Tubman’s birth and resting places.
About NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center:
The New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center (NYS ERHC) opened on November 13, 2018, as part of the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council’s “CNY Rising” Upstate Revitalization Initiative. With the support of Governor Cuomo and the NYS legislature, this $10 million downtown revitalization project created more than 100 construction jobs and supports upstate New York’s tourism industry. The new NYS ERHC is a heritage-tourism promotion center that communicates the pioneering role that New Yorkers played in the ongoing quest for equal rights and acts as a visitor launching pad for equal rights attractions throughout the state. Located at 25 South Street in Auburn, New York, the Center is owned and operated by the City of Auburn and is a hub for visitors to discover all of New York’s equal rights heritage sites, as well as, serve as the visitor information center for Auburn and Cayuga County.
