The photograph that is depicted in this blog is that of Harriet Tubman, a former slave and leader of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman has generated much attention in the construction and dedication of a monument in her honor in the town of Cambridge, Maryland where she lived. Many famous politicians did attend this event in honor of her death, one hundred years ago and her role in the Underground Railroad. She lead over four hundred slaves to freedom into Canada.

She was a feisty woman who carried a gun in escorting slaves but threatened to shoot any slave that became cowardly and attempted to return to the plantation and their slave owner. If a slave wished to escape, this individual would, in the dark of night, sing the song, “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and would immediately be taken on the Underground Railroad.

The state of Maryland offered a $40,000 reward for Harriet’s head. Ironically, Harriet escaped slavery through this Underground Railroad.

Harriet was born into slavery and was brutally beaten as a child and bore bodily scars of this brutality all of her life. She was described as a disabled person due to a condition called Narcolepsy ( sleeping spells) which was caused by a severe blow to her head by a slave owner using a two pound weight when she was twelve years old.

Harriet was so proud of her involvement in the Underground Railroad and declared, ” I am a conductor of the Underground Railroad for over eight years and I have never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger.” Another example of Harriet’s feisty behavior was a report of her neuro-surgical procedure to correct her Narcolepsy. She refused anesthesia and chose to bite on a bullet just like the soldiers that she nursed when they had amputation procedures.

Harriet “bit the bullet” throughout her life because she was born into this world as a negro, having an undesirable skin pigmention.

My next blog will present another biography of Fredrick Douglas, who did know Harriet Tubman and crossed paths in the Underground Railroad.

This blog site’s address is labeled “What are you feeling?” Please do let your voice be heard about your feelings!

As noted in my first blog, I did present a description of the topics of all of my future blogs based on the presentation that I have been invited to provide to a number of organizations. On the promotional flyer that was published to invite the community to attend the lecture, THE PAIN OF RACISM,the photo at the top of this blog depicts a personal note scribbled on one of the programs. It does appear to be written by someone who supports the concept of racism and upon reviewing the tape of this Broadway production called, AVENUE Q and listening to the lyrics of the song, EVERYONE IS A LITTLE BIT RACIST, I was shocked and appalled by the ignorance of those who support this philosophy of pure racism.

This threatening note, which was sent to my home address, did not deter me from attending and participating in my presentation. I did inform the audience of this note that was sent to me and the response from this supportive group was encouraging. Indeed,no one is a “little racist” since “you have to be taught to hate and fear. You have to be taught from year to year.” This is a lyric from the production of SOUTH PACIFIC and it does validate the concept of a racist who has been taught to hate and discriminate as conditioned by parents, family and peers.

I do welcome your reaction and response to this blog.

I will be presenting the story of Harriet Tubman in my next blog, a less controversial topic and most interesting.

Welcome to my first Blog entitled, The Pain of Racism, in which this entry is based on the theme from my novel, FAMILY SECRETS: A JOURNEY OF GOOD AND EVIL. This book depicts the profound pain and family rejection that the author experienced as a result of the possible racial connection of her English mother. To learn more about the author with excerpts from this book, please visit her website, familysecrets.tateauthor.com

Presented in future blogs will be a series of excerpts from a presentation entitled, THE PAIN OF RACISM, which will disclose to the reader the following topics;

*A discussion of the life of Harriet Tubman, a former slave,
who headed up the Underground Railroad.

*A discussion of the life of Fredrick Douglas whose father was
the plantation owner where Fredrick was enslaved and spent his
childhood. He did escape and went on to become a famous
abolitionist and author of an autobiography.

*Contemporary stories of racism will be presented such as the
theme of love and racism depicted in the book and movie
production, SOUTH PACIFIC.

*A description of racism and the Holocaust and a story of a family who
suffered at the hands of Nazi brutality will be revealed.

* Political racism issues such as Obama’s racial origins and how he has
suffered humiliation and discrimination amongst his colleagues will
be discussed.

*A personal description of the pain of racism by this blogger as
depicted in the novel, FAMILY SECRETS: A JOURNEY OF GOOD AND EVIL,
will be revealed.

All readers of these blogs will be so encouraged to offer their personal opinions
and, perhaps, provide graphic examples of their own experiences on the topic of the
pain of racism.

“Whats your feeling” is, indeed, the goal and address of this Blog site. Please do
let all who listen hear your voice.