“Songs of Freedom from the Underground Railroad”, performed by Linda Harris, Director of Events and Programs at the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center in Cambridge, MD.
Harris is the singer/songwriter and narrator; accompanied by David B. Cole, Guitar instructor at the Duke Ellington School for Performing Arts, Washington, D.C.; Greg Holloway, percussion; Emory Diggs, bass; and Anthony “Swampdog” Clark on harmonica.
This program honors the ‘code songs’ used on the clandestine journey along the Underground Railroad by Harriet Tubman and the Freedom Seekers beginning in 1849. Tubman led 13 successful trips on the Underground Railroad, leading 70 men, women, and children to freedom above the Mason-Dixon Line. The songs that guided the way, Follow the Drinking Gourd, and inspired their treacherous journey, Let My People Go, Wade in the Water, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, and more all performed with musicians playing banjo, washboard, harmonica, and bass.
Harris also performs her original song “Freedom”, written after her first walk from Cambridge, Maryland to Philadelphia, Penn in 2020. The journey honored the freedom seekers enslaved on the Eastern Shore of Maryland who walked to freedom from 1849-1857. Harris has walked over 2000 miles leading groups along the Underground Railroad.
This program has been performed for:
- U.S. National Park Service
- MetroStage in Alexandria, Va
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Kennett Square Historical Society
- Maryland Lighthouse for the Blind
- Maryland State House Legislators
- Children’s Choir of D.C.
- Woman’s National Democratic Club
- Health CareAccess of Maryland
- Anne Arundel Medical Center
- Handsell House
- Montgomery County Parks and Recreation – Maryland Emancipation Day
- National African American Museum (with the Children’s Choir of D.C.)
- The Cozad-Bates House in Cleveland, Ohio
- Morgan State University
- Salisbury University
- Worwic Community College
- Alice Jazz and Cultural Society
- Westminster Presbyterian Church, D.C.
- Bucktown Store, Cambridge, Md.
“A truly inspired evening with the audience singing along with some of the most familiar songs” – thezebra.org
“Linda Harris is a GEM“- Deputy to the Chairman, FDIC
Note that the event producer and Artist may change dates, times, and/or venues depending on the current COVID-19 environment. Ticket buyers will be updated by the Academy Center of the Arts staff, should any change to schedule or venue occurs.
Facebook Page: Coming Soon
Juneteenth Coalition
Tickets:
General Admission:
Adult: $20.00*
Child: $5.00*
*Plus taxes and fees
For more information or to purchase tickets to this performance, contact our Bank of the James Ticketing Office at (434) 846-8499.
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All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket for this event unless otherwise stated. All ages are welcome.
Videography and audio recording during the performances are prohibited. Photography of the set on stage is allowed pre-show, post-show, and during intermission. But we do ask that you show our designers and visiting performers some love by crediting them (and by tagging us) in your social media posts.
The Academy Center of the Arts offers a diverse selection of entertainment. Not all productions may appeal to or be appropriate for every guest or for all ages. Ticket buyers should take responsibility for making informed decisions regarding their purchases. We recommend visiting the official show website of each show you are coming to see at the Academy. If you ever have questions about the content or appropriateness of a show, please contact us at [email protected].
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Want to volunteer and see this show for free? Contact Mele Thompson, [email protected], for more information.
