Statue of iconic activist Harriet Tubman arrives at Haverstraw African American Park

Families filled the streets of Haverstraw Tuesday to welcome Harriet Tubman's Journey to Freedom sculpture, which towers 9 feet and is made of 2,400 pounds of bronze.

News 12 Staff

Apr 20, 2021, 9:46 PM

Updated 1,324 days ago

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A piece of history temporarily landed in Rockland County Tuesday, featuring a sculpture of the iconic activist Harriet Tubman.
Families filled the streets of Haverstraw Tuesday to welcome Harriet Tubman's Journey to Freedom sculpture, which towers 9 feet and is made of 2,400 pounds of bronze.
It commemorates the activist who rescued dozens of slaves through the Underground Railroad, including in Rockland County.
"Harriet absolutely has come through Rockland County. We know that by way of the marker in Nyack, and we know that by the African American church she was a member of, the AME Zion Church, and the original church was right where my house is," says Virginia Norfleet, of the Haverstraw African American Connection.
Norfleet's organization, which is committed to exploring and preserving African American history in Rockland, worked tirelessly to bring Tubman to the Haverstraw African American Park - across the street from where that original AME Zion church used to stand.
"She's left her mark and impression on all of us as a remarkable woman in history that needs to be elevated and exalted," says Norfleet.
Unlike most areas that have this statue for four weeks, Rockland County will have it for seven weeks. The statue will be there through June 7.