Harriet Tubman Statue

A friend talked about a monument to commemorate slavery in some way and he wrote this:

"Our nation’s capital is replete with memorials to presidents and veterans. Why not raise a slave monument alongside them? Congress actually entertained the idea in 2003, when the National Slave Memorial Act was introduced, but ultimately authorized the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture instead.

Next year the museum will open its doors, and it will turn a spotlight on the pivotal role that African-Americans have played in this nation’s history and economy, often against their will. But its broad scope and mission mean that there is still space, and a need, for recognition of slavery itself.

The Charleston massacre in June provoked serious conversations about how we commemorate our past. One hundred and fifty years after emancipation, it is time for a serious memorial to America’s original sin."

I'm not sure if he was the original author but it makes no difference when the most important thing is the message.  This got me wondering what monuments exist because I don't think I have ever seen one.

This Harriet Tubman statue is, I believe, in New York City and it's a highly-stylized but magnificent piece of work.  I did not see the name of the sculptor but I was curious.  Even so, I did not pursue it because I'm not sure if it matters if the sculptor was black or white; the important thing is the subject which I believe is extremely well-executed.

The statue strikes me particularly just now with so many making grandiose, obviously false promises but here is a woman who was out there making rightness happen, no matter what that might bring down on her.

Another reason it strikes in me is the picture of a young kid looking at Obama, almost agape, in awe of seeing a black man as President.  A museum is not quite so approachable for a kid whereas this statue is immediate.  She's a black woman, standing proud, and doing the right thing.  Even a kid will notice that because we do love statues, even when so many of them are some general riding a horse.  Representation of more than generals on horses is a large part of my friend's point and it was encouraging to find the statue which I had not seen previously.

That's not to say, hey, here's a statue, it's all even now but rather it's a great statue and let's see some more of them.