But, here are some things I didn't know that I learned from Kasi Lemmons' Harriet.
1. Mrs. Tubman's birth name was Araminta "Minty" Ross;
2. Minty was initially married to freedman John Tubman;
3. Minty's family was promised its freedom two generations before, but the current slave owner refused to abide by that agreement;
4. Mrs. Tubman took the name "Harriet" to honor her mother, and the surname "Tubman" to honor her husband. (Although when she made that name change is unclear.);
5. Mrs. Tubman made thirteen trips between the south and north, and personally freed 70 slaves while working with the Undergrounds Railroad. I was astounded to learn this; honestly, I always presumed she stayed in the north and facilitated Railroad efforts from a headquarters;
6. She carried, and used, guns in her work;
6. During the Civil War, Mrs. Tubman worked as a Union spy and led a squad of black soldiers who freed 750 slaves.
All true, I double checked. And Mrs. Tubman did much, much more that simply could not be presented in the movie for the sake of time and plot.
Like many biopics, Harriet feels a little rushed. But in fairness to Lemmon' script and direction, there was so much real-life material the script had to be focused and condensed. Unlike many biopics, Harriet is a story of transformation: we're watching a true-to-life legend change from Minty the slave to Harriet the freedwoman to Moses the emancipator to Mrs. Tubman the social justice warrior.
Cynthia Erivo, nominated for an Academy Award for her performance (and I predict she will win) is remarkable in the lead role. She's required to demonstrate subtleness and fierceness, fear and strength. And she does each with authenticity and skill.
I say it's time to ditch whatever history books a mostly white society creates and sells to a nation of mostly white teachers who teach mostly white students. Let's start using the biopic Harriet as an introduction to all students about Mrs. Tubman and how she changed the world.
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