History presenter brings Harriet Tubman to life

The presentation was in honor of Women in History Month.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- Pupils at Girard Intermediate School took a 30-minute journey through the life of one of America's most-noted historic figures.
Sherrie Tolliver, of the Cleveland-based Women in History organization, entered the gymnasium at the school Thursday afternoon dressed in a black dress, light blouse and shawl indicative of clothes worn by women more than a century ago.
She spoke to the pupils in the audience in a different tone than that of her natural voice as she began the tale of a life now scribed in the chapters of history books.
Tolliver had transformed herself into Harriet Tubman -- credited with leading hundreds of slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. The re-enactment of Tubman's life was presented in honor of Women's History Month, which is in March.
Tolliver, as Tubman, entered the gymnasium singing the old hymn "Steal Away," and asked pupils what the song meant as they heard it. Some said the song was religious. Tolliver agreed but said the song had a deeper meaning for those trying to escape slavery. That song, and many others, served as a call to flee and head North.
Tolliver gave a first-person account of Tubman's life including her early years as a slave and nursemaid at 7, her harsh treatment, her first attempts at running away from slavery and the early years of her marriage. She told the pupils how Tubman eventually fled the South using moss on trees to determine her direction and make it to Pennsylvania.
About the program
The fourth-graders sat in silence, captivated as Tolliver explained how the legendary figure made about 20 trips back to the South and helped about 300 slaves, including her family, escape to freedom. Each journey took between two months and four months.
Mary Cunningham, teacher and program coordinator, said the children learn about historical figures like Tubman, but she wanted them to walk in her footsteps for a better understanding. The program is a cap to in-class studies, she said.
"This goes along with our standards," she said. "Each grade studies something, be it slavery, civil war or women in history, and this fit into the curriculum for all three grades."
Tolliver has been with the Women in History organization since 1994 and does about 50 re-enactments a year. She hopes the pupils want to learn more about the figures she performs and hopes they continue with further study.
"I try to really take them there and put them in her shoes so that it is not just a story about some lady. These are people who had families and lives," she said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com