harriet tubman
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Aisha Hinds Was Brilliant as Harriet Tubman on Underground
This week’s episode of Underground, “Minty” came at a special time. Yes, it literally aired two hours earlier than it usually does and was rebroadcast throughout the evening by WGN but it also ran during a time in this nation’s history where Harriet Tubman’s words struck with such fervent urgency that it played dual roles…
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Upcoming Episode of Underground Will Be Solo Performance by Aisha Hinds, Focused on Harriet Tubman
The sixth installment of the second season of Underground will be a solo performance by actress Aisha Hinds, focused on her portrayal of Harriet Tubman, the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad, who led many enslaved black people to freedom. WGN America announced Friday that the April 12 episode will air at a special…
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Why This Season’s Underground Should Be in Every Conversation About the War on Drugs
Over the last few years, I have spent a lot of time thinking, talking and writing about the war on drugs, particularly how it affects black women. And it is clear that the writers of WGN’s Underground, the exceptional runaway hit show that tracks the movements on the Underground Railroad, have been, too. There are…
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7 Times Harriet Tubman Was a Badass Superhero
Harriet Tubman is having a moment. Right now she is the “it” girl of history. No longer relegated to the pages of schoolbooks during Black History Month, the freedom-fighting, self-liberating she-warrior and “conductor” on the Underground Railroad is getting the recognition she so richly deserves. Last year the Treasury Department announced that Tubman would replace…
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Living With History: Harriet Tubman’s Great-Great-Grandniece Wants Black History Celebrated Every Month
Editor’s note: For Black History Month, The Root is speaking to the relatives of our most cherished African-American heroes in a series called Living With History. To open the series, we interviewed a descendant of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. Next, we did a Q&A with the descendants of Ida B. Wells, and last…
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Watch: My Black History: Underground’s Aisha Hinds Learns Power of Art Through Nelson Mandela
Editor’s note: During Black History Month, the focus is usually on historical figures who loomed larger than life, paving the way for the progress we experience today. But black history isn’t just about telling stories of our past. History is being made every day and has been made throughout our lives; it’s not just in…
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Black Travel: A Tradition and Rite of Passage
I was 14 years old when my parents took me to Costa Rica, and I was kicking and screaming the entire way. It was my first time abroad, and America Online had just established a monthly flat rate for unlimited usage. But instead of starting conversations online with the requisite “age, sex, location,” I ended…
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Underground Reveals Key Art for Season 2; Get a 1st Look at Harriet Tubman
With John Legend as its executive producer, WGN’s Underground series had an enormous first season, and next month’s season 2 premiere is sure to have fans talking. Especially when gun-toting Harriet Tubman, played by Aisha Hinds, makes her debut. The series released key art for the second season Wednesday, and as you can see, Hinds’…
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National Harriet Tubman Historical Park Is a Step Closer to Becoming Reality
A national historical park meant to honor Underground Railroad hero and iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman in her hometown in upstate New York is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality, the Associated Press reports. According to the newswire, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that the Department of Interior has completed a land-transfer agreement that…
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House Blocks Iowa Rep.'s Amendment to Keep Harriet Tubman Off $20 Bill
Harriet Tubman will still be appearing on the $20 bill, despite an Iowa representative’s best efforts to stop the Treasury Department from redesigning the currency. On Tuesday the House Rules Committee blocked an amendment by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) that would have stopped the rollout of the new currency, Talking Points Memo reports. The amendment,…