Here’s another win during Black History Month 2020 — there are now two life-size bronze statues of black abolitionists in the Maryland State House.
On Monday night a ceremony revealed the statues of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass in the room where Maryland abolished slavery in November 1864.
Tubman and Douglass made significant strides in the abolitionist movement. They both were born in Maryland in the 1800s and escaped slavery. Tubman is known as “Moses” because she helped many other slaves escape to freedom. Douglass founded a newspaper and published books about his experience as an escaped slave.
Jheanelle Wilkins, a Maryland lawmaker, took to Twitter saying, “For a time, neither could legally return to the state of Maryland after their escape. But tonight we return them to their rightful place in (Maryland) history.”
According to CNN Travel and a news release from the governor’s office, relatives of Tubman and Douglass were in attendance at the unveiling.
Governor Larry Hogan gave a statement saying, “It is my hope that when we view these wonderful statues of these incredible heroes and reflect on the countless contributions of these remarkable leaders, it will remind each of us to always stand on the side of goodness and love, and on the side of unity and justice.”
The statues weigh between 400 and 500 pounds, according to the news release and it took about a year to design and install the figures.