Tubman Quotes & Sayings

We had no more courage than Harriet Tubman or Marcus Garvey had in their times. We just had a more vulnerable enemy. — Stokely Carmichael

Slavery was a web of relationships, and if people knew how thick the whole business was, they would not make fun of people like Harriet Tubman. They would understand how intelligent she was and how sharp. — James McBride

Most of those coming from the mainland are very destitute, almost naked. I am trying to find places for those able to work, and provide for them as best I can, so as to lighten the burden on the Government as much as possible, while at the same time they learn to respect themselves by earning their own living. — Harriet Tubman

Almost two hundred years ago, Harriet Tubman led slaves to freedom. And when they told her they didn't think they could, when they said they were too afraid, she pointed a gun at them and said" - Marjorie mimed a weapon in her grasp - "Go forward or die. — Anna Carey

Harriet Tubman,

woman of earth, whipscarred,
a summoning, a shinning — Robert Hayden

In my dreams and visions, I seemed to see a line, and on the other side of that line were green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white ladies, who stretched out their arms to me over the line, but I couldn't reach them no-how. I always fell before I got to the line. — Harriet Tubman

Born a slave, Harriet Tubman was determined not to remain one. She escaped from her owners in Maryland on the Underground Railroad in 1849 and then fearlessly returned thirteen times to help guide family members and others to freedom as the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad. — Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Harriet Tubman was an astronaut, traversing the south to the north by navigating the stars. — Sanford Biggers

I would fight for my liberty so long as my strength lasted, and if the time came for me to go, the Lord would let them take me. — Harriet Tubman

When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. — Harriet Tubman

Why, der language down dar in de far South is jus' as different from ours in Maryland, as you can think. Dey laughed when dey heard me talk, an' I could not understand 'dem, no how. — Harriet Tubman

Slavery is the next thing to hell. — Harriet Tubman

I feel like Harriet Tubman, except I am trying to free people through underground music, to free themselves creatively and inspirationally. — Janelle Monae

I've heard 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' read, and I tell you Mrs. Stowe's pen hasn't begun to paint what slavery is as I have seen it at the far South. I've seen de real thing, and I don't want to see it on no stage or in no theater. — Harriet Tubman

We will be ourselves and free, or die in the attempt. Harriet Tubman was not our great-grandmother for nothing. — Alice Walker

Fortunately, I come from an activist mother, so I didn't have to rely on the history books. The history books teach us nothing about the Underground Railroad aside from Harriet Tubman. So I knew more about it but, obviously, I had to dig deeper and expand my knowledge and do a lot of research once I took this project on. I had, like, a good two months to research before we started shooting, which isn't a lot, and I continued it throughout the five months of us shooting. — Jurnee Smollett

I had reasoned this out in my mind; there was on of two things I had a right to, liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other; for no man should take me alive. — Harriet Tubman

Never wound a snake; kill it. — Harriet Tubman

There was one of two things I had a right to: liberty or death. If I could not have one, I would take the other, for no man should take me alive. I should fight for liberty as long as my strength lasted. — Harriet Tubman

Twant me, 'twas the Lord. I always told him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect you to lead me,' and He always did. — Harriet Tubman

I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. — Harriet Tubman

That educated didn't mean smart. He had a point. Nothing in my education or knowledge of the future had helped me to escape. Yet in a few years an illiterate runaway named Harriet Tubman would make nineteen trips into this country and lead three hundred fugitives to freedom. — Octavia E. Butler

I said to de Lord, 'I'm goin' to hold steady on to you, an' I know you'll see me through.' — Harriet Tubman

Everybody that loves freedom loves Harriet Tubman because she was determined not only to be free, but to make free as many people as she could. — Nikki Giovanni

Harriet Tubman was a spy for the United States of America Union Army during the Civil War. 9. — Stephen R. Daily

Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth were slaves by birth, freedom fighters by temperament. — Nancy Gibbs

'Pears like I prayed all the time, 'bout my work, everywhere, I prayed an' groaned to the Lord. — Harriet Tubman

One of the lesser-known contributions of the great Harriet Tubman was the devotion of her life after the war to a similar project. The woman who personally led three hundred slaves to freedom, who was a spy and "general" for the Union, spent her final years trying to establish the John Brown Home for the Aged. When the government refused to give her a full veteran's pension, the former general sold fruit and had a biography published to raise money for the institution. — Paula J. Giddings

We saw the lightning and that was the guns and then we heard the thunder and that was the big guns; and then we heard the rain falling and that was the blood falling; and when we came to get in the crops, it was dead men that we reaped. — Harriet Tubman

'Pears like my heart go flutter, flutter, and then they may say, 'Peace, Peace,' as much as they likes - I know it's goin' to be war! — Harriet Tubman

I knew of a man who was sent to the State Prison for twenty-five years. All these years he was always thinking of his home, and counting by years, months, and days, the time till he should
be free, and see his family and friends once more. — Harriet Tubman

The Lord who told me to take care of my people meant me to do it just as long as I live, and so I did what he told me. — Harriet Tubman

Twasn't me, 'twas the Lord! I always told Him, 'I trust to you. I don't know where to go or what to do, but I expect You to lead me,' an' He always did. — Harriet Tubman

In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line, but I can't seem to get there no-how. I can't seem to get over that line. — Harriet Tubman

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. — Harriet Tubman

I think there's many a slaveholder'll get to Heaven. They don't know better. They acts up to the light they have. — Harriet Tubman

If this were a courageous country,
it would ask Gloria to lead it
since she is sane and funny and beautiful and smart
and the National Leaders we've always had
are not.
When I listen to her talk about women's rights
children's rights
men's rights
I think of the long line of Americans
who should have been president, but weren't.
Imagine Crazy Horse as president. Sojourner Truth.
John Brown. Harriet Tubman. Black Elk or Geronimo.
Imagine President Martin Luther King confronting
the youthful "Oppie" Oppenheimer. Imagine President
Malcolm X going after the Klan. Imagine President Stevie
Wonder dealing with the "Truly Needy."
Imagine President Shirley Chisholm, Ron Dellums, or
Sweet Honey in the Rock
dealing with Anything.
It is imagining to make us weep with frustration,
as we languish under real estate dealers, killers,
and bad actors. — Alice Walker

When I was growing up I loved reading historical fiction, but too often it was about males; or, if it was about females, they were girls who were going to grow up to be famous like Betsy Ross, Clara Barton, or Harriet Tubman. No one ever wrote about plain, normal, everyday girls. — Kathryn Lasky

I freed thousands of slaves, and could have freed thousands more, if they had known they were slaves. — Harriet Tubman

Every day I wear my Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth medallions around my neck. When I think I'm having a bad day, I try to think about their day, and I get up. — Marian Wright Edelman

If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more. — Harriet Tubman

I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors can't say; I never ran my train off the track and I never lost a passenger. — Harriet Tubman

I would have been able to free a thousand more slaves if I could only have convinced them that they were slaves. — Harriet Tubman

I started with this idea in my head, "There's two things I've got a right to, death or liberty." — Harriet Tubman

Lord, I'm going to hold steady on to You and You've got to see me through. — Harriet Tubman

The campaign to put a woman on the $20 bill has narrowed the choices down to four finalists. The four finalists are Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Flo from the Progressive Insurance ads. — Conan O'Brien

Let's go beyond the Trinity of African-American History. There are so many more to learn about other than Harriett Tubman, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks. — Karimah Grayson

Read my letter to the old folks, and give my love to them, and tell my brothers to be always watching unto prayer, and when the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step aboard. — Harriet Tubman

Quakers almost as good as colored. They call themselves friends and you can trust them every time. — Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman fought American slavery single handed and was a pioneer in that organized effort known as the Underground Railroad. — W.E.B. Du Bois

If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. — Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman: I could have saved thousands - if only I'd been able to convince them they were slaves. — Rebecca Traister

I can't die but once. — Harriet Tubman

I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. — Harriet Tubman

I grew up like a neglected weed - ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it. — Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman lived to see the harvest. — Langston Hughes

Oh, Brown was our lion and Tubman our fox, great-grandson! — Terry Bisson

Imagine yourself in Harriet Tubman's shoes. Fighting to be freed from deplorable conditions. Placing one foot in front of the other, putting slavery behind you. If a petite, abused slave can rise up, fight for freedom, secure the freedom of others, and change her world, so can I. And so can you. — Susie Larson

I was the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. — Harriet Tubman

I link dar's many a slaveholder'll git to Heaven. Dey don't know no better. Dey acts up to de light dey hab. — Harriet Tubman

As I lay so sick on my bed, from Christmas till March, I was always praying for poor ole master. 'Pears like I didn't do nothing but pray for ole master. 'Oh, Lord, convert ole master;' 'Oh, dear Lord, change dat man's heart, and make him a Christian.' — Harriet Tubman

All the heroes of black emancipation - from the black abolitionists Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass, to the woman who organized the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, to the leader whose actions finally destroyed American slavery, Abraham Lincoln - were Republicans. It is of the utmost importance to progressive propagandists to conceal or at least ignore this essential historical truth. — Dinesh D'Souza

You'll be free or die! — Harriet Tubman

I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves. — Harriet Tubman

I am at peace with God and all mankind. — Harriet Tubman

I had crossed de line of which I had so long been dreaming. I was free; but dere was no one to welcome me to de land of freedom, I was a stranger in a strange land, and my home after all
was down in de old cabin quarter, wid de ole folks, and my brudders and sisters. But to dis solemn resolution I came; I was free, and dey should be free also; I would make a home for dem in
de North, and de Lord helping me, I would bring dem all dere. — Harriet Tubman

Her continuity - you know, if you connect Harriet Tubman, who died in 1913, to Rosa Parks, born in 1913, you get this extraordinary spectrum of the African-American experience. — Douglas Brinkley