[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 41 (Thursday, March 7, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CELEBRATING THE FIRST ANNUAL HARRIET TUBMAN DAY HOSTED BY THE NEW YORK 
                       STATE EQUAL RIGHTS CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOHN KATKO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 7, 2019

  Mr. KATKO. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the first 
annual Harriet Tubman Day hosted by the New York State Equal Rights 
Center (NYS Equal Rights Center) in Auburn, New York. Harriet Tubman is 
an American icon, whose courageous activism helped strengthen civil and 
women's rights. Her legacy runs deep in Central New York and still 
influences the local community today.
  Born a slave in Dorchester County, Maryland, Harriet Tubman escaped 
to freedom in 1849. She arrived in Philadelphia but quickly returned to 
Maryland to rescue the rest of her family. Successful in guiding her 
family and many other slaves to their freedom, Harriet Tubman became a 
well known figure on the Underground Railroad. Notably, she never lost 
an escaped slave she was guiding to freedom during her service as a 
conductor on the Underground Railroad.
  Harriet Tubman joined the Union when the Civil War broke out in 1861, 
first serving as a nurse and then as a scout. She possessed knowledge 
of stealth travel from her time on the Underground Railroad, a skill 
she passed along to Union scouts to evade detection by Confederate 
forces. This skill proved extremely helpful during the Combahee River 
Raid, when she and her fellow Union scouts sabotaged Confederate 
supplies. This raid was also significant because Harriet Tubman became 
the first woman to lead an armed assault during the Civil War. After 
the war, Harriet Tubman moved to Auburn to care for her family who 
settled there.
  Women's suffrage became a priority for Harriet Tubman during her 
later life. She became very active in the movement, traveling 
throughout the northeast to participate in demonstrations and working 
alongside suffragist leaders like Susan B. Anthony and Emily Howland. 
While Harriet Tubman passed away in 1913, her role in the suffrage 
movement helped pave the way for full women's voting rights in 1920.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in 
celebrating the first annual Harriet Tubman Day hosted by the NYS Equal 
Rights Center. Harriet Tubman's contributions to civil and women's 
rights in our society is unparalleled. The NYS Equal Rights Center pays 
tribute to her activism, serving as a reminder for Central New Yorkers 
to treat everyone in the community equally and respectfully. I ask my 
fellow Representatives to honor Harriet Tubman's legacy and never 
forget her role in creating a more equal America for all.

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