Push to get Tubman Statue in the U.S. Capitol in Jeopardy

Published on March 30, 2011, in the Afro-American Newspapers:

A heavily amended bill to place a statue of Harriet Tubman in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol was passed unanimously on March 28 by the Maryland Senate. “Maryland had a unique opportunity to replace a slaveholder with a slave, a white man with a Black woman, a colonial figure with a Civil War figure,” said Equal Visibility Everywhere (EVE) President Lynette Long in a statement. “They have squandered that opportunity. Instead, they’ve chosen to petition Congress for something they know they won’t get, in a transparent attempt to pass the buck to the federal government.”

The original bill was meant to replace the statue of John Hanson with one of Tubman, as states only get two statues in the crowded hall. The amended bill asks for an exception, allowing Maryland to place a third statue in the hall; an honor not given to any other state thus far. …continue reading

Amended Tubman bill passes Md. Senate

Published on March 29, 2011, in the Delmarva Daily Times:

ANNAPOLIS — A heavily amended bill to place a statue of Harriet Tubman in Statuary Hall passed the Senate unanimously Monday night, but advocates of the original bill aren’t happy about it.

The amended bill calls for Congress to make an exception so that Maryland can add Tubman as a third statue rather than replacing a statue of Revolution-era Maryland lawmaker John Hanson. Under the original bill the Hanson statue would have been removed from the Capitol and placed in Annapolis. …continue reading

Harriet Tubman won’t displace John Hanson

Published on March 28, 2011, in the Baltimore Sun:

John Hanson’s spot in the U.S. Capitol is secure, while Harriet Tubman’s chances of securing one are spotty, thanks to a vote this evening by the Maryland Senate.

The General Assembly has been weighing whether to swap out Hanson for Tubman in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Each state can have only two statues, and since 1903, Maryland has been represented by Hanson, a president of the Continental Congress, and Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.

This session, the National Organization for Women and dozens historical and civil rights groups were trying to gain a place for Tubman, who helped slaves travel to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Although senators are supportive of Tubman, they won’t trade Hanson for her. …continue reading

Md. Senate: Tubman won’t bump Hanson statue

Published on March 25, 2011, in the Washington Post:

A historical smackdown between Harriet Tubman and John Hanson didn’t quite live up to its billing on the floor of the Maryland Senate on Friday.

A bid to replace one of 100 marble pedestals in the exclusive National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol fell short, with a compromise emerging instead. Bill supporters wanted to replace Hanson, a leading advocate of American independence, with Tubman, the famous abolitionist. …continue reading

Sponsors Want Tubman Statue as Addition, Not Replacement

Published on March 24, 2011, in Southern Maryland Online:

ANNAPOLIS (March 24, 2011) — Supporters of a bill to replace a statue of Maryland legislator John Hanson with a statue of Harriet Tubman in the U.S. Capitol are now looking for a better piece of real estate for the former slave and abolitionist.

The Senate Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee is sending the legislation to the floor of the Senate with amendments to request that the U.S. Congress make an exception to the rule that each state get only two statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, or to find a suitably prominent location for Tubman. …continue reading

Lynette Long: Putting Harriet Tubman and women in their place

Published on March 1, 2011 (March 15 online) in DC Spotlight:

Upon entering the spacious home of Dr. Lynette Long in Northwest Washington, D.C., it is difficult to gaze upon the tall ceilings without envisioning the metaphoric glass ceiling women have long complained about. However, it is those massive ceilings that engender empowerment instantaneously. Large posters of powerful and poised women garnish the walls; copies of American art featuring iconic women stare back at onlookers. The room engenders thoughts of endless possibilities, and one can almost feel the magnetic levitation of the upward movement of women through the body of work Long has built over the years. The room emits the sweet aroma of success, momentum and women on the move. The walls whisper the obvious: historical firsts are approaching.

While some boast of supporting women’s causes, Long, a psychologist in practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland, has devoted the majority of her career to championing the upward mobility of women. Her deliberate focus and interest lies in movement and immediacy; she wants to see movement forward today for women. She tirelessly works with her organization EVE (Equal Visibility Everywhere), which she founded in March of 2010 in the District to promote the visibility of women in daily life. Her latest project – among others – involves a bill in the state of Maryland to place a statue of Harriet Tubman in National Statuary Hall in the Capitol Building. As much as Long would like to share the light of the moment with supporters of the bill, this was her “baby”, and like any birth, the project is close to seeing daylight, but is experiencing a few labor pains. …continue reading

Tubman statue: political correctness run amok

Published on March 15, 2011, in the Baltimore Sun:

In her commentary (”Tubman statue would help write women back into history,” March 10), Lynette Long began well by mentioning the obvious attributes and accomplishments of Harriet Tubman, who is certainly an historical figure to be honored. She mentioned the opportunity to change the statues in the U.S. Capitol. Then she went downhill on a rant about how this was necessary because of racial and gender equality, that women and girls would be forever scarred if this wasn’t accomplished. …continue reading

Tubman statue would help write women back into history

Published on March 11, 2011, in the Baltimore Sun:

The Maryland General Assembly has an opportunity to send a new representative to the United States Capitol. This person wouldn’t be a voting member of Congress but would stand tall in the halls of the Capitol and serve as a symbol of freedom, courage and equality to all Americans. This session, the Maryland legislature will decide whether or not to replace the statue of John Hanson that has stood in National Statuary Hall for more than 100 years with one of Harriet Tubman. …continue reading

A pedestal for Harriet Tubman

Published on March 11, 2011, in the Washington Post:

Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that there is such strong resistance from a small minority in Maryland’s General Assembly to replacing Revolutionary figure John Hanson’s statue in the U.S. Capitol ["Harriet Tubman vs. John Hanson: Statuary Hall Smackdown," Style, March 6]. As scholars who have spent our careers interpreting American history, we hope to shed some light on this issue.

Despite the claims of Hanson supporters – some of them Hanson family descendants – John Hanson was not an important Revolutionary figure, even in Maryland. …continue reading

Harriet Tubman Statue is Precisely about Race and Gender

Published on March 8, 2011, in Southern Maryland Online:

The Maryland legislature has a chance to select a new famous Marylander to stand in National Statuary Hall in our nation’s capitol. Currently, John Hanson and Charles Carroll, both colonial-era patriots, represent Maryland in National Statuary Hall. Since each state is only allowed two statues in National Statuary Hall the current bill to send a statue of Harriet Tubman to the U.S. Capitol would require the statue of John Hanson be returned to Annapolis. Senator Mike Miller is against the bill calling the effort “insane” and claiming the effort is rewriting history. …continue reading

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