The Most Important Lesson Harriet Tubman Taught Us
Harriet Tubman is known for freeing hundreds of our people but not many know that her first escape mission was sabotaged by fear. Fear that wasn’t her own. Tubman’s legacy is critical, but this lesson might just be the biggest thing we can learn from her.
Often excitement about our dreams fizzles out and is replaced by fear. But fear is different from danger.
Danger is a scenario in which we can actually experience harm. Fear exists in our minds and is often rooted in what we don’t know. Harriet Tubman was deeply impacted by fear, but not how you might expect.
While Tubman is known for leading hundreds to freedom, many people forget that her first escape attempt backfired.
She and her brothers had managed to flee their plantation but her brothers’ fear of being caught caused them to turn around. Tubman protested, but her brothers still forced her to return with them.
The next time Tubman fled, she didn’t tell her family her plans because she knew their fear would create obstacles.
Tubman wasn’t afraid of running away. If she was afraid of anything, it was the dangers of enslavement.
To beat fear we must face it head on. Our people have bravely done this for generations, jumping over slave ships, running from plantations, sitting at lunch counters as food was flung at them, and standing toe to toe with police at BLM marches.
Tubman dreamed of freedom. Like her we must have faith and follow our dreams, knowing failure is only possible if we let fear win.
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