I have long maintained that Harriet Tubman is the closest thing there has ever been to a real life superhero.

@gaflippersofficial9007

3 жыл бұрын

I would say she is second to Jesus

@jazkookie4118

3 жыл бұрын

Truth

@MossyMozart

3 жыл бұрын

@Marianne Stine - Others who are in that group include Sojourner Truth and Joshua Henson.

@noelleg3890

3 жыл бұрын

This video is proof.

@mykl-anarche2201

3 жыл бұрын

And Booker T. Washington.

I've seen some people suggest that disability in the stories of slaves is overlooked because it was so common for slaves to have been disabled by their owners (intentionally and by overwork) that it is just assumed that every slave discussed was most likely disabled in some way. Which - yikes - but does make some rather horrific sense. But that kind of prevalence should mean that we focus MORE on the disabilities, not less.

@camilledvorak7151

3 жыл бұрын

:`(

@MossyMozart

3 жыл бұрын

@Stacy Happell-Murdock - I admit to being a person who never considered this before, beyond the awful truth of deliberate physical damage done by "owners" as punishment or as a way to prevent fleeing. I can now see where malnutrition and concealed injuries (like a head injury) could leave a terrible mark on one's life. I am ashamed for my negligent ignorance.

No one ever frames the story of Harriet through the lens of disability. She was not just a black woman but a disabled one at that and I’m so glad someone said it. Thank you Jess.

@ChrisPage68

4 жыл бұрын

Coz we're not allowed to be aspirational, apparently.

@saraquill

4 жыл бұрын

I knew about her disability, but usually a downplayed, "btw, this happened." Only one profile I read discussed how it added challenges to her work as Moses, for all of one sentence.

@foreverwander0320

4 жыл бұрын

I’ve only ever heard it one other place, on the podcast The Dollop. They talked about her injury and how it affected her life (and also about how she prayed for her master to die and he did, and how she always felt a little guilty). Fascinating story.

@youtubetrash3196

3 жыл бұрын

My Nontraditional Life same

@rasheemthebestfirstone3274

3 жыл бұрын

Never even know that she was disabled like what she did is even more impressive

jessica: harriet tubman is a disabled icon me, a black disabled woman, yet to find out about what info let you to making this statement: yes amen. amen.

@hannahofhorror

4 жыл бұрын

That being said, I’m obviously going to actually watch and listen. I just love conversations like this. I dont actually know that much about Harriet’s life.

@analorena6832

4 жыл бұрын

Jessica: Harriet Tubman is a disabled icon. Me, knowing exactly 0.5 things about Harriet Tubman and fully ready to be educated: Of course she is, we love a black disabled queen

@hannahofhorror

4 жыл бұрын

Ana Lorena We love to see it

@lorriehicks7156

3 жыл бұрын

I knew that Harriet Tubman had absolute epilepsy but I had never thought of it as a disability before. I had always thought of it as a kind of nuisance. Like needing to wear glasses. (I'm kind of like Velma without my glasses.)

@trobact

3 жыл бұрын

i found out from the Little Leaders book, highly recommend, it's for kids so not too spoon heavy www.hive.co.uk/Product/Vashti-Harrison/Little-Leaders-Bold-Women-in-Black-History/23344513

In the movie biopic of Harriet's life, her head injury and subsequent brain damage was portrayed as visions she got from God. In a way they were seen as gifts, which is fine. But the way the filmmakers go about it, they ignore the physical pain these visions would have also caused. And made it seem like the visions were the only things guiding Harriet through the Underground Railroad when her and her passengers got lost or had to make difficult decisions. Truth is Harriet was an intelligent woman who outsmarted many slave owners during her journeys north. The movie could have done better to put an emphasis on the lasting difficulties of having a lifelong disability. Instead they make her seizures into the only thing that kept her from being captured.

@jazkookie4118

3 жыл бұрын

As an epileptic, I can confirm the pain is excruciating Nd after you have a seizure and you literally want to die to take the pain away. Some seizures have put me out for a week. There are a lot of risks because you don’t have control over your body

@DoloresJNurss

3 жыл бұрын

Being myself narcoleptic, I have felt inspired, long before this movie came out, that Harriet Tubman turned her disability into an advantage, which does require insight and intelligence. This means a lot to me, as we're told to regard ourselves as defective, and pressured to take life-shortening, sanity-endangering drugs in order to appear almost normal. (I have made the difficult decision to refuse to comply.) That said, I do agree that more should have been said about the price of this disability, such as chronic fatigue, that she pushed through. When, because of my own dreamwork (making the most of what I've been stuck with) people say, "Why, your narcolepsy is a gift!" I usually reply, "More like a rather expensive resource. Gifts are free. But if I have to pay this much, I'm not going to waste it."

We’re still minting pennies even though it costs more than it’s worth, but we can’t change the design of bills?!? So dumb.

@TheAdrift

4 жыл бұрын

Yes! Death to pennies, and Long Live Harriet! 🙌

@SaraH-jn5db

3 жыл бұрын

We all know the real reason they won't do it

@elliecole9248

3 жыл бұрын

Wait am I dumb here because I agree about changing the picture on one of the bills to Harriet but don't we need pennies?

@randomhuman4623

3 жыл бұрын

@Harold Slick why did you bring North Korea into this? Anybody could try to duplicate money

@josepinheiro6064

2 ай бұрын

Smells like racism? No?

As an American who knew a bit about Harriet, I did not know about her disability. Thank you for this well done bio. She was amazing! As are you.

@kimberlyaustin7030

4 жыл бұрын

@@MyNontraditionalLife they just skipped right over that part. Shame really.

@nondescriptbeing5944

3 жыл бұрын

Our education system could be much improved.

@laurabrown8161

7 ай бұрын

same!! grateful to continue learning

Find it beyond sad that the US treasury has “more important” things do do than put Harriet Tubman on a $20 bill. Pretty sure it is not that labour intensive. In Canada we have Viola Desmond on the $10 Bill. She was a black civil rights activist and businesswoman who challenged segregation at a movie theatre in Nova Scotia by refusing to leave the whites only section of the theatre. She was convicted of minor tax evasion due to the 1 cent difference in the tax between the ticket prices.

@katherinemorelle7115

4 жыл бұрын

In Australia we have David Unaipon on our $50 dollar note. He was an Aboriginal artist and inventor. He’s the only Indigenous person on our money. Honestly, America should change all the old white presidents out for other interesting and iconic individuals, of all races and genders. People are going to learn enough about the presidents in school. Give the money to more interesting and more awesome people, like Tubman, or Sequoyah or Sitting Bull. They’re the ones who get left out of history lessons, so they should get the spots on the money.

@danstiver9135

4 жыл бұрын

They're afraid of angering Southern racists who love Andrew Jackson. The Andrew Jackson who owned slaves, perpetuation essential genocide against the Native Americans, and helped cause the Panic of 1837 by meddling with the American banking system. No wonder the current president loves him so much.

@juliarose3826

4 жыл бұрын

Wait, I thought Sir John A. Macdonald was on the ten dollar bill. Thats like the only dectail I remember from Canadian History Class, Sir John A. MacDonald is Purple and he was first prime minister. Edit: apparently this started in 2018...guess I haven't held many 10$ bills in the past two years.

@angelagallant5887

4 жыл бұрын

Chloe Q education in Canada is very different depending on the province. Quebec learns about the Plains of Abraham very different than the rest of the country. Lesson plans regarding the Métis vary in the west and the east. Maritime provinces learn more about the Loyalists and Acadians than the rest of the country etc.

@juliarose3826

4 жыл бұрын

@@angelagallant5887 thats very true, even tho it's supposedly equal across the country it really isn't. I'm maritimes so I know whatcha mean about acadians and I know I was taught about the loyalists tho I don't remember anything about them. Never heard of Abraham's plains tho. Even unrelated to this tho the education system is so unequal and broken in so many ways, our unbalanced history classes is just one of many problems.

Everything I ever learned about Harriet Tubman was that she freed a heckin lot of slaves. That's all they teach about her in schools. The only reason I found out (and a lot of other ppl found out) that she was also a soldier in the civil war was because of ppl giving the information on TikTok. Seeing as most ppl don't know this key part of her history or even that she was involved in Woman's Suffrage, its not too much of a surprise that I had no clue about her being disabled. American schools r severely lacking in the history department

Yeahhh Harriet she lived and was buried in my home town. She’s a legit badass.

To people who say "slavery was a long time ago!": HARRIET TUBMAN DIED IN 1913. THAT'S ONLY A HUNDRED AND SEVEN YEARS AGO. THAT'S NOT LONG AGO. also just found out she died in 1913, omg.

@mothdoc1909

3 жыл бұрын

If I'm remembering correctly there was a person alive whose mother was a slave.

🇨🇦 Yes... Canada as a whole banned slavery before the US as a whole, but our schools generally fail to mention the part where enslaved people escaped from Canada to free US states. Massachusetts 1783, Ohio 1802, New Jersey 1804. Michigan Territory took a stand of no extradition of slaves in 1807. The return of two slaves from Windsor, Upper Canada was denied with Judge Woodward declaring that any man "coming into this Territory is by law of the land a freeman". All before the 1819 declaration that all Black residents of Upper Canada were free. While the vast majority of slavery in Canada had ended by 1825, it wasn't actually over for everyone until The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was forced upon 'Canada' by the British Empire. It would have been inconvenient as members of the Legislative Assembly or their family members still owned slaves. Also, Canada didn't just enslave Black people, the Indigenous population were also convenient targets for chattel slavery - which is, the really nasty kind of slavery. There were also indentured slaves, of any colour and background who were indentured for a period of years, or possibly for life - generally due to being convicted of a crime - although poverty was also effectively criminalized. A major difference being, that any children an indentured slave bore were legally free, whereas in chattel slavery offspring are the legal property of the enslaver. Actual treatment of the enslaved human was not necessarily any less awful simply because Canadians like to believe we're “nice” and “accepting”. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/black-enslavement Podcast: The Secret Life of Canada

@shaiapouf8486

3 жыл бұрын

thanks for posting this! very interesting. I like how you pointed out the difference between chattel slavery and other types of slavery. many people seem to forget (or refuse to learn) that there is a difference.

@MossyMozart

3 жыл бұрын

Lynn - Canada and the USA have sad parallels between our treatment of people of African descent and Native persons, to our great shame.

@darklymoonlit

3 жыл бұрын

Not to mention the part where the British Empire continued to profit off of slavery in the US (cotton for all those mills had to come from somewhere) until their supply routes were cut off during the Civil War. (Which was also an industry they effectively stole from India, but that's a whole other story.) Or, you know, the fact that England was definitely involved in the slave trade.

It makes me so angry that the US government refused to pay her for her service during the Civil War. She had already been forced for work without pay but they still refused to compensate her for her labor.

I read a book about Harriet Tubman as a kid and I was obsessed with her for a bit, but I had no idea she was disabled! I remember her injury being mentioned in the biography but it was just “she suffered seizures for years” and that was it

@BethJoan

3 жыл бұрын

Really?!? Dang. The first book I read about her (around age 8) definitely talked about the accident, the migraines, seizures. And the mystism that she and those she led believed about seizures and "visions."

i loved learning of Harriet as i have epilepsy and this woman showed me that i could be someone dispite my seizure disorder

@availanila

4 жыл бұрын

@Chloe Q until you find yourself in situations line millions of Africans where even leaving your house is difficult let alone get stable employment and a chance at social participation the way you choose.

@alisonbarker3862

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely. As someone with a disability, sometimes I need someone to 'show me the way' before I can BELIEVE that I can do something. I have found that belief to me essential.

@availanila

4 жыл бұрын

@Chloe Q too true. I wasn't giving it a racial description since I come from a country with majority one race. The African culture varies in disability mainstreaming from handholding in the south to segregation in the north. As a PWD in Africa, even leaving the house alone gets me harassed and vulnerable to crime where I've had people try to lure me, Rob me or accuse me of property damage and crimes; and on the extreme side as a woman with a disability I have been completely unable to find gainful employment for almost ten years of looking now because, "get married and have your husband do that", "your more vulnerable as a female PWD there won't be able to do this", "why not look for job listings specific to PWDs?", and "how can a blind person do that?" I wish I'd say it's harder for a black person and feel proud, but it's harder for PWDs in Africa because if our cultures that suit the strong.

@mjwildy2359

3 жыл бұрын

I relate. I too have Epilepsy, and I love learning about people with the same condition. I never knew Harriet had Epilepsy until about a year ago.

@mjwildy2359

3 жыл бұрын

@Chloe Q Not everyone agrees with you, unfortunately. Ableism is a thing, and is SUCKS. I'm a white female with Epilepsy, and many of my teachers seem to have stigma against me, based on my condition. This sucks, and I constantly have to remind them that my medication works and I am fine.

It's interesting to me to hear about Tubman as disabled. When I saw the title I was intrigued but then listening realized that I knew all of that information. We definitely talked about her abuse-caused injuries, and how her seizures affected her ability to lead her train. But the word disabled was never used, and I never thought of her that way. I don't know what that says about society that she's taught as an able-bodied person who just happens to have brain damage causing seizures, and not as a disabled person. Somehow avoiding the word disabled minimizes her contributions in a way even though we still learned about her seizures.

Would you consider making a historical profile on Howard Ashman? He was a gay lyricist who worked on Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. Many people credit him with helping to start the Golden Age of Disney.

@didostempest2966

4 жыл бұрын

Another icon taken by aids /:

@maitesoto1953

4 жыл бұрын

He only started the lyrics for Aladdin, sadly he passed before finishing the project and not long after Beauty and the Beast was released. Disney+ is releasing a documentary on him soon but I'd still love to see her tell his story! "He gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul" now if that doesn't make you cry...

@alicebergonzi3802

4 жыл бұрын

@@maitesoto1953 Yeah, the songs he wrote the lyrics for in Aladdin were Friend Like Me, Arabian Nights and Prince Ali. Personally, I think those songs are the best songs in the film.

@efleck07

4 жыл бұрын

Commenting to boost, I would love this too!

@ChrisPage68

4 жыл бұрын

Feed me. FEEEED ME! Feed me, Seymour - feed me all night long!!!

As someone with temporal lobe epilepsy I can't even imagine how she was able to even move after having a seizure!!!

I am from the US and learned about Harriet a bit in school, but You are absolutely right that I never knew Harriet Tubman was disabled! She is so badass and I can’t imagine what courage that took.

@PastelBat

3 жыл бұрын

I was taught that she was "insane" because of her "visions".... Knowing that it was epilepsy as a result of trauma would have been much better information

@cheesecakelasagna

3 жыл бұрын

@@PastelBat historians with religious biases ftw. /s

OK officially my favourite 2 gays are Jessica and StrangeAeons

@alyaamex

4 жыл бұрын

same. we have prim and proper deaf lady, and goth lesbian mom

@Piti_Pingu

4 жыл бұрын

They are both so great XD

@dwjamaicamakeupandmusings6222

4 жыл бұрын

Precisely

@oj5015

4 жыл бұрын

YESSSSS

@TheAdrift

4 жыл бұрын

10/10 would go to war for both ❤️

The house that I grew up in was part of the Underground Railroad, to think such a marvelous woman had walked the same floors I had was awesome. We learned a lot of history between the 3rd and 7th grade, then again in high school yet NEVER heard once when anyone had a disability. I really think back then they thought disabled people were weak, not capable of great things. Such a shame.

@BeeHatGuy

3 жыл бұрын

That's so cool!!

The person who created the Small Pox vaccine got the idea by noticing how milk maids who caught Cow Pox didn’t catch Small Pox as well. Since she spent her early years working on a farm, I wonder if she caught Cow Pox, resulting in her never catching Small Pox.

@audra8051

3 жыл бұрын

Smallpox took one look at Harriet Tubman and cried

@beth7935

3 жыл бұрын

That's a really good possible explanation! It must've happened a lot, if not 100% of the time, for Edward Jenner to notice it & have the idea for the vaccine. And it'd be a nice counterpoint to Harriet becoming disabled because of slavery- this time, it'd be her slave work saving her life, *and* letting her help others.

@ErynnSchwellinger

3 жыл бұрын

This was my immediate assumption; but given her badassery I am not discounting chosen of God. They're not even mutually exclusive. 🤷‍♀️

@eleo_b

3 жыл бұрын

That’s why it’s called a vaccine, from, vaccinus is Latin for “from the cow”.

This is such an important message! Thank you! Disability is a taboo and erased from significant figures. This spreads the harmful message that successful people can’t be disabled and disabled people can’t be successful. Your channel makes me feel much less alone as a young person with disabilities. Thank you!

@beth7935

3 жыл бұрын

Sort of like saying their disability is a bad thing & you should keep it secret; it would somehow diminish them & their story. It's not always like that, there's sometimes a positive focus on what they've had to overcome, but then that sometimes drifts into "Oh, it's so inspirational!" territory, which as you'd know, can be a bit problematic even though it's well-meant.

@anna_in_aotearoa3166

2 жыл бұрын

This seems to be such a thing!! Especially when it comes to mental health illness/disability? The number of SUPER famous people who have been bipolar, depressed, you name it... I really wish this narrative was more clearly told, because it can be both educational for people who haven't experienced those issues as yet, AND encouraging for those who have.

I’m one of those that had no idea Harriet was disabled. I’m also Australian, so I also didn’t learn about her in school, I’ve mostly learned through cultural osmosis. But the fact that she did all that she did while also disabled, just makes her so much more of a bad arse to me. It would have been so extremely difficult without a disability. That she had a serious disability and still managed it makes it clear just how much strength of will she would have had to have. This tiny little disabled woman, accomplishing all that she did, and commanding the respect of everyone around her. Wow.

Will forever be disturbed by the fact my US history teacher spent a day on the underground railroad and a week on Woodstock. I suppose he considered one more essential to our education than the other

@demitreecandy3173

3 жыл бұрын

Yikes! Guess he made his priorities known🙄

People didn't know she was disabled?? So I was assigned to read one of her biographies for history (homeschooled. Read a looot of biographies of historical figures) and they described her disability as narcolepsy but like... It was most definitely there and also where I first heard of narcolepsy as a whole.

@luxtobeyou

4 жыл бұрын

Nope, I had absolutely no clue. In my school district we talked about a bunch of abolishionists at the same time so there wasn't much time dedicated to any one of them at all.

@adamaris1760

4 жыл бұрын

@@luxtobeyou well... I mean in a waaay that makes sense. But like... It seems rather easy to mention. Though I don't know that I did learn about a lot of abolitionists. At the time I'm sure it was just there was a stack of biographies and I would be told to go read one. And a good number of the biographies would have been about missionaries or revival leaders. So I probably know more about Amy Carmichael than the average person 😂 I did have to read some proper history books too, but they rarely got into detail of what the individual did, instead giving a very broad overview.

I had forgotten that she had suffered a head injury. As a teen, I would have thought that it was like a broken arm or something that can heal with no residual problems and most likely why I forgot that detail. I’ve learned since that is not the case.

Thank you so much for making light of the fact that the Handmaid's Tale is not a dystopian future but a painting of what happened to Black people before and what scares white people of today. It is not unbelievable because it happened to these women like Harriet. Harriet Tubman is so cool. I learned a lot of details her I didn't know before. I was totally unaware she was disabled till now. It's sad how little acknowledgement she got then and how little she gets now. I didn't even learn about her in school. Which I think is awful. I'm still very mad about the $20 bill thing. All the people on our money are pretty awful. Not that I use cash much anymore but it would be awesome to have better portraits of real Americans like Harriet on our bills.

@katherinemorelle7115

4 жыл бұрын

I think the amazing thing about The Handmaid’s Tale is that Margaret Atwood made sure that everything that happens in it, either has happened or is happening to women somewhere. (And most often, women of colour). It makes it so much more real and believable, because it is real and believable. I can’t speak to the tv show, I can’t bring myself to watch it. But the book is amazing. Margaret Atwood is also the woman behind the quote “men fear that women will laugh at them. Women fear that men will kill them”.

@HasabeMizurukara

4 жыл бұрын

I love that quote. And yes, it is very relatable. The TV show is really good but very heavy. I've cried and been afraid so much watching it.

@floopyboo

4 жыл бұрын

I was so annoyed to find out that Margaret Atwood is a TERF.

@katherinemorelle7115

4 жыл бұрын

floopyboo oh no! Really? That makes me so sad.

@HasabeMizurukara

4 жыл бұрын

Same. That's awful. :(

We learned about her as part of the underground railroad in school, but not her contributions to the army. I learned about her contributions to the army years later, but no mention of her disability. This is the first time I've heard about her disability, and that's kind of messed up, it makes all her other achievements all the more impressive to realize she accomplished them while dealing with siezers

I did not know that she was disabled and putting her image on the $20 bill is an outstanding idea. Thank you, I always learn so much from you videos.

We stan the background??? set design gang

The look in Jessica’s eyes when she “nemesis “ made me nervous. 😮😁

@annieinwonderland

4 жыл бұрын

I see a short story in this, pinky and the brain style..

I knew about her disability and her work in freeing and leading slaves to freedom but I was never taught that she served in the Civil War. Harriet continues to amaze and inspire me

i knew Mrs. Tubman was disabled and that she devloped epilepsy due to a head trauma at the age of 12 the head trauma was a stone thrown at her head.

@janetboonzaaier6132

4 жыл бұрын

At the age of 12

@emmafoley8987

4 жыл бұрын

I learned this is (US public) school, too!

Harriet Tubman is so much more awesome and amazing than school teachers you! I did more research on here after I saw something on tik tok and all we are taught is that she frees slaves. That’s it but she’s so much more of a role model than that!

@aminathegreat9076

4 жыл бұрын

If you read slave narratives (free online btw) you will learn stories from ppl that have been forgotten bc ppl only care about some former slaves. It's good that they care, just saying more ppl should know about not famous ones, too. They went through a lot even after slavery.

@lillian394

4 жыл бұрын

Amina the Great yeah I find it really interesting and it’s heart breaking that the perspective of the literal oppressed isn’t shown as much as the oppressor is in history

@snuggiesful

2 жыл бұрын

First off, it's offensive to refer to enslaved Black people as slaves. Also what do you mean by "she was much more than that"? She was much more than being a freedom fighter? A woman who saved at least 2000 of her own people from evil white supremacists? 🙄

I live in upstate New York and I remember learning a lot about Harriet Tubman as a child but never that she was disabled. Thank you for teaching me something today! Also I love the way you pronounce Maryland. I've always heard it pronounced like the name Marilyn but with a "d" on the end.

@efleck07

4 жыл бұрын

I’ve been greatly enjoying the pronunciation as well, it seems more proper as opposed to the sloppy/casual American version

@ChrisPage68

4 жыл бұрын

I went to school with other Disabled children, but didn't learn in history that Disabled people were murdered by the Nazis in The Holocaust.

Jessica: let's go to an advert break instead. KZread: *puts an add*

@harrietgriffiths5002

4 жыл бұрын

Ikr I was expecting a brand bit and I got an actual ad like 😳

Side note: A light coating of dish soap will prevent sticky things. This means everything that you call her a disabled icon. She was amazing. I knew her disability from school but I went to school in California so that probably explains alot of California's stereotypes.

@annieinwonderland

4 жыл бұрын

Or magic wipes, possibly easier for Claudia?( can't remember your cares name) to use.

@athenearosa

4 жыл бұрын

Yes but the wipes take force to remove the substance off an object via friction while the dish soap prevents adherence by reducing the friction in the first place.

As a young white girl I find that despite the fact they don't teach it in schools it is vital I make facts about these things a part of my education, I did a book report on one of her many biography's in school, I knew she had received a head injury as a young teen, and suffered form migraines but I did not know the part about the seizures and fainting spells. I theorize they don't include things like this because they think it makes a very strong women seem weak, I think it makes her seem even stronger

@cdb48340

3 жыл бұрын

I think it is not included because slavery already looks bad enough. Mainstream (white) society does not like to face the actual horrors of enslaving people

To echo your observations about disability and the history in US school I was taught about her disability and faith as things that shouldn’t be discussed and diminished her accomplishments. And the idea that her disability only existed as an intersectional identity that should be seen as part of her racial identity. We do learn about her and other abolitionists in school, as it’s far more local history than in the UK but the idea that they might also be part of any other demographic is heavily discouraged and considered insulting.

@ChrisPage68

4 жыл бұрын

It's insulting that they diminish a major part of her identity.

@Pippis78

4 жыл бұрын

It's insulting to consider acknowledging someone's disability as an insult.

Yes! She was an amazing person who did so much good work & activism. I have learned about Harriet my entire life but I had no idea she was disabled. I got surf shark, thank you for the discount! As a librarian I am extra happy you included the safety features or VPN.

I just finished a college history course covering the United States through the civil war and this was never mentioned about Harriet Tubman. Thank you for filling that gap.

So interesting. I didn't know her story

Thank you for sharing this story. My American history classes never once taught me that she was disabled! I’ve been disabled for 10 years - my chronic pain and a botched surgery to remove my tailbone made it worse. Five years later, (having been unable to sit or do much walking during those five years), a large truck hit our car and only I was injured. My back was shattered at the T7. (upper middle of back) Finally, a pain pump was installed and it is somewhat helpful. Mostly I lie down a lot in between trying to do what I can. Wrapping gifts and attending one of our daughter’s wedding showers put me in bed for two days this week. I can’t imagine being a disabled super hero! I’m just trying to finish parenting the last two of our five children! One thing I truly admire Harriette for: she KNEW she was a super woman and wasn’t shy about telling people how much she had suffered. Thank you for featuring Harriette and for caring enough to focus on disabled people. It truly is a core part of who we are. I’m sorry for your pain and I wish it would just stop! Blessings,

WHO THE HECK DISLIKED?! This is an informative video that allows you to understand what happened with slavery along as other things, she worked hard on to make interesting and fun to learn!

@athenearosa

4 жыл бұрын

Racists that's who. It still runs deep here in the states years later.

@squeeerle

4 жыл бұрын

Trolls? Racist trolls? I always wonder that too.

@Nortarachanges

4 жыл бұрын

The carpenter ^_^

@user-uc2he9wb2f

4 жыл бұрын

KZread actually automatically gives dislikes to videos that have large amounts of views and a high percentage of likes. This video has far less thumbs downs than you think. Also, many of those dislikes may be accidents (I know I’ve done this a few times lol)

"It's my nemesis - *The Carpeter* " DUN DUN DUUUN

The foster dog, Marcel and I think that disabled people are important and wonderful! Too right! What a wonderful woman Mrs. Tubman was. Articulate and funny as always! Hugs, Alison.

I truly didn’t know of her disability. Having grown up in the USA, more and more I realize my history education was seriously lacking. I believe history education here continues to do a disservice to many important historical figures, events and those being currently educated. Thank for this enlightening story💜

unfortunately no one in AMERICA is taught anything real helpful about history, especially american... it's truly disgraceful and I'm really upset every time

@elektra121

4 жыл бұрын

Strange. Because I went to school in Germany 20 years ago, and I heard about Harriet Tubman in school.

@aminathegreat9076

4 жыл бұрын

Just because it isn't taught in school doesn't mean ppl can't educate themselves. Slave narratives aren't taught in school and they are free online, anyone reading this should go read some stories of forgotten victims

@audrab.589

4 жыл бұрын

As a former history teacher it is taught in some areas but not all (I took my students to the Harriet movie). I agree that it is disgraceful that it is not universally taught. The education system is very regional some regions are better than others. (Edit: I teach in California)

@medd-lee

4 жыл бұрын

I do mean american schools! Some countries are better than others. Its nice to hear Germany teaches that, actually. Yeah, its regional. I wonder if new England and the eastern side of the midwest teach it better than my area, being part of the history of the area. I wonder if the south also teaches it fairly well? I was taught who harriet was and what she did to help, but there was very little detail and much less info than there was here. While the slavery era is taught, it's not taught well and especially not taught as the true horror it was. I really hope that this was more of a my area thing... oof.

@medd-lee

4 жыл бұрын

@@aminathegreat9076 10000% agree with you just want to call that out lol.

Ya know, I think we need to amend a saying after this video. The original saying is "British people think 100 miles is a long way, while Americans think 100 years is a long time." I think we need to add, "British people think 100 pages is a long bill". US bills up for debate and voting in the US Congress can be into the thousands. One of the latest on the Coronavirus stimulus relief was somewhere around 1,800 pages.

@mx.noname4710

3 жыл бұрын

I've never heard that saying before, and it made me laugh. Thanks!

I didn't even know who Harriet Tubman was, I don't know if I should blame myself or my history classes for that (I am Dutch so...). She is a freaking hero and this is so so important! Thank you for always educating me and others, I don't know what I would be without you

I was born and raised in Maryland..... This was never taught in schools and has never been brought to light as part of the states history.

@amkoh87

3 жыл бұрын

Same. It was only briefly touched on during black history month, and I also adore the way Jessica pronounces Maryland 😊

Add this to the list of people I heard about, but obviously didn't learn much about in history class. So thankful to Jessica for teaching me about the history of my country, than my country hasn't taught me.

An amazing person! An amazing women! An amazing disabled person! You are kind to say as an English person we don't learn about her in school. Unfortunately as an American person we learned precious little (I hope they teach more now). Thank you for teaching me a clear, precise description of this great American! I'll look for her on a $20 next year! ps. cute commercial! Thanks Surf Shark Girl!

I remember reading a biography of Harriet Tubman and that she had sustained a head injury, suffering "fainting spells" afterwards, but I had never put it together in my head that she was disabled. I'm so glad that you mentioned that. Thank you for all that you do. I really love your channel and I have shared some of your stories with my young daughters. All children need good role models.

I'm from France and I don't remember the schools I was in teaching me about her! Life is unfair.

@spriddlez

4 жыл бұрын

I'm from Canada and same. Then again I also didn't learn about black Canadian activists either so I'm not terribly surprised.

@elektra121

3 жыл бұрын

From Germany and heard about Harriet Tubman (and her injury) in school, back in the 90ies.

Harriet Tubman is one of my favorite people ever in all of history Edit 1:This queen was prone to blackouts and STILL managed to be the most successful conductor on the Underground Railroad Edit 2: "She prayed for his death and a week later he died" God will do her bidding Edit 3: Not only was Andrew Jackson a slave owner, he ordered the Trail of Tears, which kicked Native Americans off of their land and killing about 4,000 on the way. One man went to the Supreme Court, who ruled it unconstitutional. Jackson refused, basically saying "Who's gonna stop me, I'm president" and did it anyway. This broke the system of checks and balances in place in the American government to stop one group from holding too much power. This man advocated for genocide and literally laughed in the face of the principles America was established with, and still gets to be featured on money.

the way Jessica pronounces Maryland soothes my soul

I just discovered you and your channel... and I am so grateful! On this day-- January 17, 2022, known in the USA as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day-- I am so impressed with your research, your delivery, your compassion, and your genuine enthusiasm in delivering this most precious of overlooked facts about Harriet Tubman... her astonishing accomplishments as a person saddled with a serious disability! Added to that, the time period of her black, female, enslaved, life of oppression and yet, everyday-- she found the courage to wake up and proclaim boldly--- "And Still I RISE!!" This is so amazing and inspirational to me right now-- I'm struggling with a disability of the mind--- clinical depression. Everyday I look for inspiration --- I hit the jackpot today when I found this video. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU and God bless you always as you have certainly blessed me and many others! Take that victory lap girl! 10,000 🌟 🤩 ⭐ 🌠 💫

Thank you for sharing Harriet's story! I've only learned with the talk about the movie that she isn't as well-known outside of the US. It's interesting that people feel Harriet's disability was overlooked. I may not have known it as a disability when I was a kid, but Harriet's sleeping spells and messages from God were always a highlighted in the stories I heard about her because she attributed many of her successes to them. What I didn't know about until adulthood was her work in the civil war. I was obsessed with her story when I was kid.

@elektra121

3 жыл бұрын

Seems to differ greatly. A lot of people coming from the US commented that they didn't knew anything about her, but I'm German and was told about her (including at least her injury, don't know exactly anymore, if we were taught about her narcolepsy) in school, back in the 90ies.

@kiarrasayshi

3 жыл бұрын

@@elektra121 yeah, I don't remember if her injury was included in school, but I read lots of stories about her as kid. She's definitely generally well known in the US though. Maybe not by everybody, and certainly not all the details, but from my understanding she's part of the standard curriculum in the very young grades. And she's one of our most well known historical figures. I'm glad she's becoming more well known abroad!

This is one of the most horrific and at the same time most important stories in this series. I am truly at awe at Harriet Tubman's life journey and her incredible character. People like that are very rare and should be celebrated and venerated and, more importantly, taught about in schools around the world.

This video is fantastic, Jessica. The US Education system doesn't teach us enough about important figures like Harriet and disability is almost never mentioned about anyone (except for FDR). If you're looking for your next profile, may I suggest prolific photographer Dorothea Lange?

As a Canadian, we don't learn a lot about Harriet Tubman in school. I had no idea she was disabled, or a lot of other details of her story. Thank you for sharing!

@lynn858

4 жыл бұрын

They also told us that Canada banned slavery before the US, but fail to mention the part where enslaved people escaped from Canada to free US states. Massachusetts 1783, Ohio 1802, New Jersey 1804. Michigan Territory took a stand of no extradition of slaves in 1807. The return of two slaves from Windsor, Upper Canada was denied with Judge Woodward declaring that any man "coming into this Territory is by law of the land a freeman". All before the 1819 declaration that all Black residents of Upper Canada were free. While the vast majority of slavery in Canada had ended by 1825, it wasn't actually over for everyone until The Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 was forced upon them by the British Empire. It would have been inconvenient as members of the Legislative Assembly or their family members still owned slaves. But sure, Canada was the end of the underground railroad and we should feel like heroes for that. *headdesk*

The saddest thing is that in all of the times I had teachers talk about Harriet Tubman not once did they ever mention that she did everything thing she did with a disability. Just another reason the United States public school sucks.

Fun Fact: I have been to Harriet Tubman’s home (now a National Park and part of the historical Underground Railroad scenic bike tour that is along the Eastcoast) and William Seward’s gorgeous home. William Seward was Secretary of State in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet. The night Lincoln was shot, other men attacked William Seward, fortunately he lived. Vice President Johnson was also going to be attacked (murdered) but his attacker changed his mind. Their intention was to overthrow the government. William Seward was secretly providing funding to Harriet Tubman for the Underground Railroad. He also provided the land, just down the road, for her to have her own house built. Fun Fact 2: I attended an A.M.E. Zion Church service while in NY, it was the most moving experience in my life.

I was never taught about her disability! Thank you for educating!!

Thank you so much for this post! My ancestors were Quakers from England from the Wiltshire area and came to what is now the USA in the mid 1600's. Their last name was Mendenhall/Mildenhal. They purchased their land in what is now Pennsylvania from William Penn, who'd received land from the King of England to parcel out. Once they came to America, they founded the Concord Friends Meeting House in Concord, Pennsylvania. Their descendents were very involved in the underground railroad movement. I've often wondered if they met or aided people like Harriet or Frederick Douglas. This was a great video

I'm surprised by the number of people that studied Harriet's story at school but didn't know she was disabled. Not being American I only heard of her a few years ago for the first time (I think I came across a post on Instagram about the plan to put her on the $20 bill?) and when I read her entry on Wikipedia the fact that she was disabled was very thoroughly explained. How are schools completely glossing over something you can find on Wikipedia?? (I am not dissing the American school system here. It's more about the school system in general because I've come across things like that a lot, all over the world and it's just not right)

There is no excuse for me learning more from a disabled, British youtuber more about Harriet Tubman than I EVER learned through the American/Alabama school systems. And honestly everything I learn about her just makes me admire her even more. True badass and icon for anything you could want

I don’t think there is a single video in this series where I haven’t learned something new about the person your covering, even ones who are somewhat well covered in school like Harriet Tubman. Thanks and I hope you and Claudia enjoy some time out!

I read that head injury story on wikipedia. Made Harriet seem even more amazing, which you didn't even think was possible considering all the other stuff she did with or without that disability. Just, wow.

Jessica acquires a nemesis: Step #5 to becoming a supervillein achieved!

Thank you for doing this! Not many people know Harriet was epileptic/narcoleptic. As someone with narcolepsy myself it’s refreshing to see not only her as a disabled bad ass but I also take comfort in the fact that her hallucinations were integral to her escape. Powerful!!

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ debut novel, The Water Dancer, has Harriet Tubman in a mentor/inspiration sort of role in the latter half of the book. Coates makes her disability, or some of it, attributable to the magical realism he employs, but he also takes care to include mention of her cane and I believe she complains about her knee, which bothered her later in life. It’s a fictionalization of a real woman but he never erases her disability (or her attitude) and it’s a great book anyway. She’s not a central character but she is treated with the respect and attention she deserves. I highly recommend it!

When I first read of her brain trauma and seizures, I felt even more admiration for this courageous woman. She was literally awesome.

I DID NOT KNOW about Harriet Tubman's disability. As you said, it makes her feats even more incredible.

Harriet tubman was one of my heros when i was a child because of the fact that she helped free slaves and the fact that she did everything she did while having a disability.

We didn’t learn nearly enough about Harriette in school! What an amazing woman!

I remember reading as a child about Her closed head injury and that she had seizures on a regular basis. She is a hero.

The historical comic book nathen hale’s hazardous tales actually does tell this part of her story and brings her head trama into account for the entire rest of her story.

Thank you for placing the work of Black people before the work of abolitionists white people in the sentence discussing the Underground Railroad.

Omg i love her surfshark ad😂😂 its so cute. Id love more vintage-y ads. I cant skip theough them theyre so cute

I had several lessons about Harriet Tubman in school as an American, but they never mentioned her injury and subsequent disability. I only knew that she had seizures because of an animated short children’s film I had growing up. It was about her life, and early on, it showed her getting hit in the head by something, followed by mentions of seizures, confusion, and pain from the incident later in the film, but they didn’t say anything about her lack of treatment immediately following the attack. I’m pretty sure that they actually had her get back up and struggle to her parents’ home afterwards. I think that that was more about the time constraints and that this show was made for children under twelve. It wasn’t perfect, but I think that it was valuable and did a good job considering its audience and the time allowance for the picture. It’s something that was never even mentioned in school, in spite of many lessons on her and her legacy.

There was a point in my childhood (maybe 6 or 7) where I was OBSESSED with Harriet Tubman. I did projects on her, I read a bunch of books about her, literally everything I could. I looked at her like I would look at Superman, a badass superhero. Now knowing that her disability is apart of her origin story makes me respect her so much more. Disabled heroes are still heroes, nonetheless, and that is the hill I'll die on.

I saw "AD [CC]" in the title and thought 'ah audio description and closed captio- wait you can do that on KZread?? oh it's an ad'

Great profile, as always. I had learned about the 2 lb. weight that struck her, but not the rest. My 6th grade teacher said she suffered narcolepsy as a result of the brain injury, but not the seizures or hallucinations. And the story always stopped after the Civil War, almost like she was a character in a story and the rest of her life didn't matter, so thank you for sharing the rest of her story.

As someone who is disabled, as much as like I don't want to be all I'm in chronic pain and it's something people can't see (stage 4 endometriosis)... I feel bad calling myself that because I don't know if my pain is worth that label, but yeah... Whenever I ask for help out after grocery shopping I feel people look at me and think that I'm fine just being lazy, but the amount of energy just to do that, that little bit of help, makes my pain less. If I overdo anything I lay in bed for days after because the pain is too much and just taking a shower is me doing something. I think part of disability awareness is not only for others to be all, don't ignore us, it's also a way for us to heal emotionally as well, seeing that we aren't alone.

I had forgotten about her being disabled from a rock to the head.😲😢😭🤕 saddest thing ever. What an amazing woman for pressing on into success in life. ❤❤❤ HERO.

Also worth mentioning - do you know where your sense of direction lives? Your *temporal lobe.* It's possible (or even likely) that her disability impacted her ability to navigate. And yet she was still an Underground Railroad conductor with a flawless record. What a legend.

I’m American and learned (very little) about her in school. However it wasn’t until the show Underground that I learned she had epilepsy and was even more amazed of all she had accomplished while having a disability. I think this is a very important part of Her story.

I remember reading a children's book about Harriet Tubman that mentioned the head injury and the subsequent symptoms she suffered and it was certainly put in the context of having to stop while leading slaves to freedom which put them all at risk and others were angry or antsy about it. But that was one children's book and the only place I saw that took it seriously that she was doing all of this with disabilities (in as much as a children's book can/will).

I love your historical profiles so much. It's just such an interesting view on people, seeing them as human beings instead of just symbols. Look forward to the next.

Harriet Tubman was my favorite historical figure growing up. I at one point knew she had seizures but I had totally forgotten.

Another fantastic profile! It continually amazes me how history likes to pick which parts of a person are important enough to be included in the overall narrative of their life. I'd love to see a profile on Pauli Murray, they're an incredibly important figure in so many respects and one who is all too often overlooked.

As a narcoleptic woman of color, Harriet Tubman gave me hope when I needed it. Keep in mind that narcolepsy doesn't just mean falling asleep randomly, it also means chronic fatigue. If the average person were to go without sleep for two days and then attempt to go about their daily business, that's what a normal day feels like to narcoleptics--and she made arduous journeys in that state! Eye witnesses said that sometimes she would fall asleep while walking and keep on leading them in a somnambulistic state. Sometimes she would fall to the ground asleep, mid-march, then wake up having had a dream warning her to change direction--foiling slave-hunting ambushes. She actually weaponized her disability against her enemies! Thank you for publicizing this hero!

At my school, they did teach us that Harriet Tubman was disabled and I was really surprised to find out that most people didn't know that. Also, I was disappointed at the movie for not including the part where she was hit in the head and said it was all revelations from God.

thankyouthankyouthankyou for this. MI was born and raised in St.Catharines Ontario and WE never learned about her either! I made a point of studying her on my own . the recent movie made is grossly inaccurate

When I was around 6 or 7 I had a book about Harriet Tubman, and that is where ALL of my knowledge of her came from. I am glad I had that, although it was small and had no mention of her disability, but schools should teach this. Maybe it will in the next few years, but not yet.

Intersectionality!! 💖 That's why I watch this channel in the first place!

Absolutely LOVE all of these. This one especially. Maybe do a profile of Marjorie Lawrence, operatic soprano who performed Wagnerian roles at the Metropolitan Opera in a wheelchair after she contracted polio in 1941! A true pioneer!