Relatives of abolitionist and civil rights pioneer Harriet Tubman gathered last week at Wilson Park to support a proposal to construct the Harriet Tubman Memorial Freedom Bridge in Syracuse, NY. The structure will pay tribute to the renowned abolitionist and political activist who lived in Central New York.
The genesis of the Harriet Tubman Memorial Freedom Bridge concept dates back to 2008 when the New York State DOT announced a now outdated ‘Community Grid’ stand-alone plan to demolish a segment of Interstate 81 that was built 60 years ago through three predominantly African American neighborhoods in Syracuse.
The objective of the Harriet Tubman Memorial Freedom Bridge is to help provide racial equity for local residents and to reconnect the community by all modes of transportation.
Tubman was born enslaved in Maryland and led 70 people north to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She died in 1913 at age 90 in Auburn, NY.