The Enslaved & the Virginia Freedom Seekers

As we learn about Harriet Tubman, we not only peer into the incredible life of one of our country’s most iconic heroes, we also get a better understanding of the broader experience for African Americans in the 19th Century.

In this episode, we travel to museums throughout Virginia and to the presidential homes of Thomas Jefferson (Monticello) and James Madison (Montpelier) to hear how the stories of that African American experience are being told today.

We hear from Eola Dance and Robin Reed from Fort Monroe, historians Ed Ayers of the Backstory history podcast and Elvatrice Belsches, Niya Bates and Gayle Jessup White from Jefferson’s Monticello. Christian Cotz from Madison’s Montpelier and Stephanie Arduini of the American Civil War Museum. 

If you’d like to learn more about visiting places that tell the story of Harriet Tubman, The Underground Railroad and the 19th Century African American experience, especially in the state of Virginia, go to https://www.virginia.org/harriet.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

”Following Harriet” is sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Film Office.  Special research thanks to the Black History Museum in Richmond and the City of Petersburg, Virginia and the Petersburg Preservation Task Force.