On June 6, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation held a hearing on several bills, including the Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act (H.R. 664). The bill would establish the Harriet Tubman National Park in Auburn, New York and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Park in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, Maryland.
Reverend Daren C. Jaime, pastor of People’s African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Syracuse, New York, and member of the Board of Directors of Harriet Tubman Home, Inc., Auburn, New York, voiced his support for H.R. 664, saying, “The time to act is now. Harriet Tubman passed away 100 years ago on March 10, 1913. Therefore, this is a seminal moment in American history, as we will surely measure…the actions of the United States when provided the opportunity to honor Harriet Tubman. [She was] a woman, who, though born a slave, never gave up on the promise of America and gave 93 years of service to her country and community, as exemplified by her service for the cause of freedom; her service in the Union Army; her many humanitarian efforts in establishing a home for the aged and an infirmary on her property, and advocating for women’s suffrage. These are but a few of the well-documented contributions of Harriet Tubman to the rich mosaic of America.”
