Follow the North Star: Led to Freedom by Harriet Tubman, John Brown, and Their Contemporary Abolitionist Allies
The intertwined and abiding legacy of John Brown and Harriet Tubman lends a modern magnetism to The John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid, New York, a place where many continue to gather in pursuit of justice and equity.
Through a series of thoughtful gatherings held at the John Brown Farm this year, Martha Swan, founder and executive director of John Brown Lives!, has elegantly outlined the connection between this pair of “spiritual siblings.” John Brown and Harriet Tubman are said to have met in one of Harriet’s visions — after being hit in the head with a weight thrown by an enslaver, Harriet would fall unconscious at random. These “sleeping fits” became a vehicle for Harriet’s mysticism; she had vivid visions of God and saints lifting her up, hinting at her mission and the journey that lay ahead. As the interwoven vocations of John Brown and Harriet Tubman began to unfold, they met again in Canada in 1858 and found kindred spirits in each other. Mutual respect, faith, and freedom guided their relationship and charted their shared course toward abolition.
On Friday, September 13th, at the John Brown Farm, storyteller Charmaine Crowell-White put on a one woman play for students and teachers from Petrova Elementary School, Lake Placid Central School District, and Willsboro Central School District. Crowell-White told General Tubman’s tale, using her strong gaze, commanding voice, and warm, nurturing disposition to welcome each student into the inner world of Harriet.
Crowell-White’s performance had a profound impact on her audience. Charmaine’s flowing, descriptive narrative transported the audience to the years of Harriet’s life (1819 or 1820–1913) and to the Underground Railroad, inviting us to endure the dehumanizing realities of enslavement alongside her as abolitionist allies. For many, “slavery” was transformed from a classroom history topic to a lived reality with a lasting legacy that continues to implicate each one of us.
Charmaine reached the chasm within — she found in each of us the place that needs to be touched if we are to change. Her songs and story became an invisible fist of empathy, outstretched to grab hold of our hearts. She inspired the kind of closeness and kinship that is the bedrock of abolition — “abolition is not a destination, it is practice and relationship” (Growing Abolition). Charmaine addressed the audience as “friends,” leaving us with a sense of our interconnectedness and an empowering love for the abolitionist called General Tubman.
Charmaine’s unique ability to hold the hearts and minds of students steadily through a 45-minute performance creates an incontrovertible case for experiential learning. At the core of learning is understanding, and often empathy, which are awakened in us as we create connections. After the performance, one student shared, “This resonated with my heart so much.” Another asked, “Why was Harriet Tubman’s life so harsh?” Not a moment passed where students were restless or uninterested. Eyes were locked on the storyteller and hearts were open.
After Charmaine’s performance, students and teachers lingered at The John Brown Farm to share lunch and explore the site’s buildings and trails, all the while deepening their sense of place and connection to the Adirondack landscape and its impactful historic roots in abolition. Many had a chance to connect historic conditions with the modern struggle for voting rights by exploring Spiraling ‘Round the Promise of the Right to Vote, Ren Davidson Seward’s public art installation at the John Brown Farm. Teachers came prepared with questions, worksheets, and a contagious sense of civic engagement that transforms heartbreaking tales of injustice into an opportunity to become empowered and deeply involved in one’s own community.
The mission statement of John Brown Lives! states: “Through education, history, and the arts we believe we can bend the moral arc of history towards justice and equity. By having difficult and honest conversations about complex issues we connect the lessons of the past to the present to create a more just society.”
Charmaine Crowell-White’s one woman play unraveling the story of Harriet Tubman provided a tangible thread between past and present. Charmaine stirred enthusiasm and curiosity in students and teachers alike, opening the door for life-changing queries and an embodied understanding of both enslavement and the mission of abolition. In over one hundred and fifty curious students and dozens of energetic educators, Charmaine planted the seed of truth and reaffirmed the value of storytelling and experiential learning.
As a people, we continue to benefit from Harriet Tubman’s mystical wisdom and fortitude as an abolitionist. Collectively, we owe a debt of gratitude to the artists, historians, and friends who continue to tell her story and the stories of all those who lead others to freedom.
What does freedom mean in 2024? What might happen in our communities today if we all vowed to follow the North Star to collective freedom, just as Harriet did?
