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Ida B. Wells
In Praise of African Women is a series of tales, some truly historical fiction, with a common theme - - women of African ancestry who have made a commitment to the quality of life and to the dignity of living for African peoples. These women are mothers, warriors, wives, sisters, grandmothers, artists, workers, leaders, and defenders of the culture. The list of stories include the following personalities. All stories are not for all audiences. Araminta Harriet Tubman - African Liberator. Military strategist. Compassionate humanitarian. Freed more than 1000 Black folks from captivity leading up to and during Bukrah's War, or better known as the Civil War. Sogolon - Queen and mother of Sundiata Keita, the Lion King of Mali. Her dedication to her family and to her son, exemplifies what millions of mothers have had to do over the millennia - - take care of their families despite all odds.
A Story: Araminta Harriet Tubman by Baba Jamal Koram This is a story that Baba Jamal Koram wrote years ago when he and his wife visited the area near Buckstown, Maryland where Araminta was born. In the 1970's when he would travel between White Plains, NY and Buffalo, he would stop by Auburn to see where Harriet spent her last days, and then he would go over into Canada, near Niagara Falls to see the last stop on de underground railroad for many Africans from Maryland. (When reading the story try not to put any special emphasis on da dem, dan, dese, etc. just speak it and let it flow. Also, don't trip about the dialect being there sometimes, and not at other times) (Freedom Song, by Baba Jamal Koram, sung to the tune of Go Down Moses) When Black folks were in captivity Let my people go Oppressed so hard we were not free Let my people go Go down Harriet Way down in Maryland Make those Bukra Let my people go . . . (con't.)
Araminta Harriet Tubman used to go into Maryland and free Africans, taking them north as far as St. Catherine's Canada. The story say that she made 19 trips and freed more dan 300 Black people. She freed more than 700 in South Carolina as well. She was an African Liberator of the highest caliber, never taking her mind off of freedom, and always caring about the conditions of her people. Unlike some of today's leaders, Minta didn't have any identity confusion. She knew who she was and whose she was and she knew what she had to do. AND DID IT. One day Minta had 20 folks "ret to go" north. She said, "Hmmph, I got room for one more on dis underground railroad. Let me go see 'bout dat." So she went to a nearby farm what some call a plantation, and saw two folks. She said that she had room on her underground railroad and asked which one of them wanted to go to freedom. Both of dem said, "Take me! I'm ready to go now!" "Now, I can't take both of you," said Araminta, "Which one of you really wants to go?" Both of dem said, " I do, I do!" Then she asked, pointing to one of dem, "Why do you want to go?" "Well sister Harriet, I aint gonna lie to you," said the first one, "Uhm a spiritual person, and I hear things, and see things, and I know things. An last night I had a dream, and in dat dream I saw two hand, looked like yours, and I hear a voice say, Come to FREEDOM! And he sound like your voice. But before I could grab he hand, I wake up. Take me Miss Harriet, TAKE me!" Araminta say, "Whoo, now dat's good." Then she turned to the other person and say, "Why you wanna go?" "Well Sistuh Harriet, I aint gonna lie to you," said the second one, "I try scape four time. I know you got to go to the Choptank River, so the first time I go, I smell de ribah. Dey sen the dog to get me. Deh second time, I hear de ribah, dey sen patta roller get me. Deh tird time, I saw de ribah. Dey sen me own kin folk get me. But de four time I scape, Sistuh Harriet, I put my foot in de Choptank Ribah. Put my foot in dere. My heart said GO! But me mind say NO! An Sistuh Harriet, I catch me self. It be bad wen you caught you self. Harriet day, "Whoo, I know what you mean. Now I have a decision to make. Araminta sat and thought, but not for long, and she decided who she was going to take. Who would you have taken? Why? I don't know which one she took, but whichever one she took, I hope she went back and got the other one on her next forage behind enemy lines. by Baba Jamal Koram ©2003
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