Harriet Tubman and Mamie Till to visit Women’s Rights National Historical Park July 4th Weekend!

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Date: June 18, 2014
Contact: Jamie Wolfe, 315-568-0024

Seneca Falls, NY –  Harriet Tubman and Mamie Till will be visiting Women's Rights National Historical Park on July 5th and 6th in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Renowned story teller, Carolyn Evans, will portray Harriet Tubman in a moving presentation,Harriet Tubman Tells of Her Life in Auburn on Saturday July 5th at 1:00 pm and again on Sunday, July 6th at 3:00 pm. Harriet Tubman, perhaps the most well-known "conductor" on the Underground Railroad, made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom and "never lost a single passenger." By 1856, Tubman's capture would have brought a $40,000 reward in the South. After working as a Union spy during the Civil War, Harriet settled in Auburn, NY where she remained until her death in 1913.

On July 5th at 3:00 pm and again on July 6th at 1:00 pm, Mamie Till will be brought to life by Carolyn Evans in the presentation, Mamie Till-A Mother's Cry for Justice in America. In 1955, Mamie Till's 14 year old son, Emmett, was murdered in one of the most heinous, race-motivated crimes in American history. 50,000 people attended Emmitt's funeral. Mamie's son's killers were acquitted and released, the outrage of which became a major force in the Civil Rights movement. Through the years, the case faded away before finding renewed national interest, becoming the subject of scholarly research and publication. Two weeks before the national television premiere of the PBS presentation, The Murder of Emmett Till, Mamie Till died of heart failure at the age of 81.

In addition to the storytelling presentations, during the weekend from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm, supplies will be available for the public to participate in the celebration and make their own protest signs or plant seeds of change. "Visitors who join us for the celebration of the Civil Rights Act will be able to protest or support a cause of their choice, take home a flower pot to plant their own seeds of change, and be inspired to be a part of the change they want to see," said event organizer park ranger Jamie Wolfe.

On July 2, 1964, President John F. Kennedy's proposal to guarantee equal treatment of every American, regardless of race, culminated in the signing by President Lyndon Johnson of the Civil Rights Act.  This July 2nd, at 11:00 am, help us commemoration the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with cake. These presentations are just a sampling of upcoming activities planned at Women's Rights National Historical Park - make us a part of your nation's birthday celebration!

All programs are free and open to the public.



Last updated: February 26, 2015

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