Maryland, New York Senators Introduce Bill to Honor Life of Harriet Tubman
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PRESS RELEASE
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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| Date: | February 2, 2011 |
| Contact: | Alan Spears, Legislative Representative, National Parks Conservation Association P: 202.454.3384 or aspears@npca.org Alison Zemanski, Media Relations Manager, National Parks Conservation Association P: 202454.3332; C: 202.384.8762 or azemanski@npca.org |
Maryland, New York Senators Introduce Bill to Honor Life of Harriet Tubman
Statement by NPCA Legislative Representative Alan Spears
Background: Maryland Senators Benjamin Cardin and Barbara Mikulski were joined yesterday by New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand in introducing legislation to honor the life of Harriet Ross Tubman. The new legislation will establish two national historic park sites – one in Maryland and one in New York.
Harriet Ross Tubman is perhaps the most recognizable figure associated with the anti-slavery resistance network known as the Underground Railroad. To commemorate her legacy, senate bill S.247, would establish the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Act in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland, and the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park would include important historical sites located in Auburn, New York, including Tubman’s home, the elderly home she established for African Americans, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and the Fort Hill Cemetery where she is buried. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park Act in Maryland would include nearly 5,700 acres of historic land and sites, including the Poplar Neck Plantation that Tubman escaped from in 1849, a memorial garden, and walking paths. The site would also be interconnected with Blackwater Wildlife Refuge.
“Passage of the Harriet Tubman bill would increase public awareness and appreciation of one of the most widely known but least understood women in American history,” said Alan Spears, legislative representative for the National Parks Conservation Association. “We applaud this persistent effort by the senators and look forward to working together to help move this legislation forward and to preserve these national treasures for future generations.”
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