When I was in 4th grade, I was assigned to do a report on Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, whom I never heard of before. I don't remember what grade I got for my report, but now, I think there should be a feature-length movie about their expedition across America.
When I heard about the campaign to put a famous woman's portrait on the $20 dollar bill, which was spearheaded by the Women On 20s organization, I immediately thought about Sacagawea, the Native American who, at 16 years old, aided the American explorers Lewis and Clark during their long journey.
Although Sacagawea was not a candidate, Harriet Tubman was considered for the campaign, among a few other women. When I was in school, I don't recall us discussing much about Harriet Tubman. After seeing Harriet, I realized how much she contributed to American history.
Of course, Harriet Tubman is best known for her abolitionist work with the Underground Railroad to help free slaves in the 1800s. Incidentally, a character of Harriet Tubman appeared in another film I featured in Ted's MOVIE OF THE WEEK, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Being a slave herself, Harriet Tubman has a fascinating and inspiring life story that appears to be mostly absent from history books.
12 Years A Slave was a hard movie to watch, but history is filled with human atrocities. Slavery is evil and cruel, so, naturally, its depictions in films are usually horrific, even in present-day slavery, as seen in Trade about human sex trafficking. However, what I really appreciate about Harriet is the movie reminds me there is still humanity and good people in the world. As with most other biopics, Harriet takes a few liberties, but the film is mostly an accurate portrayal of Tubman.
I was disappointed that Sacagawea wasn't a candidate for the Women On 20s' campaign, but at least she was honored by appearing on the U.S. dollar coin. Considering her contributions to America, Harriet Tubman also deserves wide recognition. In 2016, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. It will be years till we see the new $20 bill with her portrait, but having an African-American woman represented in widely circulated United States currency is a welcome change and a sign of progress for generations to come.
Comments
Post a Comment