Harriet Tubman

Portrayed by Gwendolyn Briley-Strand

Harriet Tubman (c.1820-1913), known as the "Moses of her people," was a famed Underground Railroad operator, abolitionist, Civil War spy and humanitarian. Originally named Araminta, she was born into slavery in Dorchester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

At 13 she suffered a severe head injury when an overseer threw a lead weight at another fleeing slave, resulting in headaches, seizures and visions that plagued her for the rest of her life. She later escaped to Philadelphia and then returned to guide her family and many others to freedom through 13 journeys on the Underground Railroad.

During the Civil War, Tubman served as a nurse, scout and spy for the Union army. She lived her final days in Auburn, New York, where she fought for women's suffrage and founded a home for elderly and indigent African-Americans.

Gwendolyn Briley-Strand has been delighting audiences on stage, television and in movie theatres for over 20 years. Known for her portrayals of Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks, she has appeared at the White House, the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center, as well as museums, schools, and cultural organizations.

Briley-Strand has performed as Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks for the Maryland Chautauqua and is a member of the Maryland Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. She received her B.A. in theater from Fordham University.