05/12/2022
In 1887, Indian humanitarian Pandita Mary Ramabai visited 65-year-old Harriet Tubman Davis in Auburn and wrote about Tubman’s life story in a letter to her daughter Manorama. Her account shows us not only how Tubman Davis spoke about her life, but why she inspired people across the world.
On Thursday, May 19 at 7 PM at the Cayuga Museum of History and Art’s Carriage House Theater, join Phillip Hesser as he discusses this meeting of “remarkable women” – which included an “Indian girl from the far West” who also met with Tubman Davis – and how Tubman Davis’ life story became a life-changing experience. The lecture will be preceded by a Cayuga Museum Members Only reception, beginning at 5:30 PM. You can also join Hesser at a brown-bag talk on Wednesday, May 18 at 12 PM as he describes how he was able to crack the case – learning about what was said at the meeting and the identity of the “Indian girl.” You won’t want to miss these two programs exploring a rare point of view in the life of Harriet Tubman. Be sure to bring a brown bag lunch to this conversational workshop.
A former Adjunct Professor at Salisbury University, Phillip Hesser, Ph.D., “progs” through the land, life, and livelihood of the Delmarva past with special attention to south Dorchester County, Maryland. He is the author of What a River Says – Exploring the Blackwater River and Refuge (2014) and A Guide to Harriet Tubman’s Eastern Shore – The Old Home Is Not There (2021).
Both programs are free to the public, and the May 19 lecture will also be available through streaming via Zoom. Contact kirsten@cayugamuseum.org to request a link to the Zoom meeting. RSVPs are strongly encouraged, though not required. If you would like to learn more, or make a reservation online, go to cayugamuseum.org/harriet-tubman-bicentennial/.
The Carriage House Theater is located behind the Cayuga Museum of History and Art at 203 Genesee Street in Auburn. Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the Carriage House on Orchard Ave, and in front of the museum on Genesee Street. Please contact Kirsten Gosch with questions at (315) 253-8051 or kirsten@cayugamuseum.org
Support for this program is provided by the City of Auburn’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocation to support the City of Auburn Historic and Cultural Sites Commission’s Harriet Tubman Bicentennial project with a goal of boosting the recovery from the pandemic for the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry.
