September 22, 2025
For over 50 years, Tubman called New York’s Finger Lakes region home, a place where she lived, worked, worshiped, and continued her fight for freedom.
New York is commemorating the legacy of freedom fighter Harriet Tubman with a series of events marking International Underground Railroad Month and Emancipation Day on Sept. 17. The celebration, which runs through Sept. 21, highlights the proposed Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad New York Corridor, a heritage byway stretching from Manhattan to Niagara Falls that will connect significant historical sites.
For over 50 years, Tubman called New York’s Finger Lakes region home, a place where she lived, worked, worshiped, and continued her fight for freedom. Her 1849 escape from slavery is a powerful symbol of the Underground Railroad, a clandestine network of courageous individuals who helped formerly enslaved people travel to freedom.
The week of special events is a joint effort between Women’s Rights National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman National Historical Park. The program features a blend of in-person activities and virtual presentations, designed to engage visitors and educate them on the historical significance of the abolitionist movement.
Events and Exhibits
Visitors can explore Tubman’s legacy firsthand at the Harriet Tubman Home, the AME Zion Church, and other sites in Cayuga County. The Underground Railroad Trail is also accessible virtually through the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Tour app, offering a modern way to engage with history.
Special programs for the week include:
- Sept. 17: The Cayuga Museum hosts Dr. Dann J. Broyld, author of Borderland Blacks, for a virtual presentation titled “The Underground Railroad as Afrofuturism: Exploring New Galaxies in the Outer Spaces of Slavery.”
- Sept. 18: At Women’s Rights National Historical Park, visitors can join a virtual talk by Joanna Trojanowski of the Maryland Park Service on Tubman’s early life and legacy in her birth state.
- Sept. 19: Harriet Tubman National Historical Park will host Kate Grindstaff from the Seward House Museum for a presentation on the Seward family’s role in the Underground Railroad.
- Sept. 19-21: Ranger Josh Pelham will lead programs at Women’s Rights NHP focused on the M’Clintock family and their involvement in the Free Produce Movement. This includes rare tours of the historic M’Clintock House, which is typically only open for special events.
Both parks will feature interactive educational displays, family-friendly crafts, and pop-up ranger programs. The activities are designed to emphasize the role of both prominent women’s rights activists and ordinary citizens in this monumental collective resistance. For program times and additional details, visit the National Park Service website.
RELATED CONTENT: Is It a Referral Or Retribution? Fed Governor Lisa Cook Targeted By Trump Appointee
