Pa&cA4___________®lje 'Portland (Observer
celebrates Black History Month
February 12,2003
Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or
represent the views o f The Portland Observer
The Portland Observer
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Retracing the Road of Personal Freedoms
Black history is
story of human
courage, triumph
and perseverance
that to make sure freedom is kept that they have a voice in this world,
alive, it must be passed down to our and that they matter.
children. It’s still our responsibility
“Out o f the huts of history's
as mothers and fathers, sisters and shame I rise. Up from a past that's
brothers, and aunts and uncles to rooted in pain I rise. Bringing the
teach them the valuable lessons of gifts that my ancestors gave. I am
freedom. No one else is responsible the dream and the hope of the slave.
for that. We must let them know I rise, I rise, I rise.”
by D enise T himes
“I’s watched the men, the women,
andthechilren. I’s seen the fright in
they s eyes, asking me and wondren
is theys gone make it? Is theys
gonna’ live or die? Is theys ever
gonna see day break? All the whiles
I’s reminding them, theys got to
keep theys eyes on the star - the
north star.”
When I speak these words of
human courage, triumph, and per­
severance, I’m doing so as Harriet
T ubm an, arguably one o f the
world’s most prolific IO1" century
freedom fighters, who after escap­
ing slavery in the 1850s, returned to
the South 20 times to guide more
than 300 slaves to freedom.
H arriet Tubm an w as known as
a “conductor,” people who risked
th e ir liv e s to a s sist fu g itiv e
slaves.” She is one o f the strong
black w om en that I portray in a
play called “T eaching Personal
Freedom .” The production is part
o f a national cam paign to build
aw areness about the N ational
U nderground R ailroad Freedom
C enter, w hich is currently under
construction and will open the
sum m er o f 2004 in C incinnati.
I'v e often w ondered w hether
or not the concept o f freedom had
any m eaning to our young people
- if they realize the sacrifices so
many people m ade for A frican
A m ericans to enjoy the full fruits
o f freedom in this country.
W ell, after my first appearance
in M em phis, my apprehension
vanished. W hen I cam e down the
isle singing G o Down M oses, I
had to fight back personal em o­
tions to stay in character. A s I
gazed into the audience o f boys
and girls and their parents, my
o
Denise Thirties
is Harriet
Tubman in a
play about the
Underground
Railroad and
the hard won
freedoms o f
African Ameri­
cans.
eyes w elled with tears at the sight
o f their curious and bew ildered
faces.
I felt as though I em bodied the
spirit of Harriet Tubman that night
and from that point on, I felt we
w ere truly conveying the m es­
sage o f the N ational Underground
Railroad Freedom Center through
the play.
“By now you may know me as
the M oses o f my people. Some
say that I am the m otheriof free­
dom , but tonight, I w ant you to
think o f me as the first teacher of
personal freedom .”
The production, which began in
mid January in Memphis, was well
received in New Orleans and De­
troit as well. By the time we reached
Detroit, I was even more convinced
that I had made the right decision to
be one o f the conductors o f per­
sonal freedoms. To see the enthu­
siastic reaction we get from people
who come out in cold weather to
hear this powerful message, is more
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Denise Thimes is a St. Louis-
based singer and award winning
theatrical performer with the St.
Louis Black Repertory Theater Co.
She is a graduate o f Spelman Col­
lege in Atlanta, where she studied
music and theater, and is the
mother o f two.
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