The Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity held an event Friday at the University Downtown Center, unveiling a newly sculpted statue of abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman. A capstone piece of the Downtown Binghamton Freedom Trail, the statue was brought about with the support of various local and state leaders.

Ithaca’s Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers’ rendition of Richard Smallwood’s classic Gospel hymn “Total Praise” started the event before University President Harvey Stenger’s opening remarks. Gov. Kathy Hochul was unable to attend but sent a brief video of support, which was shown before the rest of the speakers were invited to the podium.

“I’m so proud to have secured a $400,000 grant to make this inspiring project a reality and to further ensure that Harriet Tubman’s vital work across our state is preserved,” Hochul said.

Stenger then introduced many of the speakers, including Anne Bailey, a history professor and director of the Harriet Tubman Center for Freedom and Equity; Sharon Bryant, an associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences; SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr.; Secretary of State Walter Mosley; State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04; Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo MA ‘84; Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham; and sculptor Zoe Dufour.

“In addition to this being a monument to Binghamton’s history on the path to freedom and civil rights for all Americans, I hope we see this statue and this trail as a symbol of what we can do when we work together as a community,” Stenger said. “I’m grateful that the University has such great partners in state and local government who’ve helped us make this Freedom Trail such a success to everyone in our area.”

Bryant, who also serves as associate director of the Harriet Tubman Center, thanked the event organizers before reading a poem entitled “It Only Takes One,” which she wrote for the occasion.

Stenger also welcomed Amanda Ortiz Molina, a Ph.D. candidate in the University’s History Department, to the stage. Molina spoke about her time working with the Harriet Tubman Center to produce an upcoming article entitled “Seeking Freedom in Binghamton, 1838-1862.” The project analyzes primary and secondary sources to “identify key individuals and places in Binghamton” and to situate the city’s importance within the Underground Railroad.

Undergraduate and graduate students participated in the research, with their work emerging from contributions made by Broome County historians and individuals from the Center for Anti-Slavery Studies in Montrose, Pennsylvania.

King provided similar remarks, reflecting on Harriet Tubman’s legacy and the importance of physically marking such history.

“Harriet Tubman was a hero of her time, but the question for us is, can we carry on her example, her unbreakable courage, her perseverance, her faith in the promise of justice,” King said. “Can she remain forever a timeless hero? That is up to us. I’m proud to walk this trail and mark this history alongside you today and proud to carry her torch forward with you always.”

After King received a standing ovation from the crowd, Mosley, who also serves as chair of the state’s Commission on African American History, spoke on behalf of Hochul.

He addressed some of the accomplishments New York state has made toward honoring the legacy of Black and African American trailblazers and activists. He also gave a nod to the late president of the NAACP New York State Conference, Hazel Duke, and his major role in collecting feedback from New Yorkers about the best way to create this memorial.

Webb and Lupardo spoke next, with Webb reminding the crowd that downtown’s City Hall was a stop on the Underground Railroad and that the Ku Klux Klan hosted rallies just down the street across from where Martin Luther King Jr.’s Memorial Promenade stands. Binghamton was the state headquarters for the KKK from 1923 to 1928.

Webb spoke of Tubman’s heroism and courage before leading the crowd into a call and response, stating, “I am on assignment. I will continue the legacy of Harriet Tubman.”

“Harriet Tubman carried a lantern to light the way,” Lupardo said. “She led slaves to freedom. Her lantern now serves as a timeless symbol of strength and hope to all who are overcoming their own challenges. Harriet Tubman is truly a timeless hero, someone we need now more than ever to help us keep hope alive. May we remember and be inspired by her lantern, by the light that will bring us all to a better place.”

Kraham followed with commentary about the importance of sharing these stories for generations to come so that students, residents and visitors can continue to learn about and remember it.

Statements were then read from the Tubman family, including Tubman’s great-great-grandniece, Judith Gladys Bryant, and great-great-great-grandnephew, Max Henry Fraser.

“Harriet Tubman’s legacy is deeply personal to our family, not just as an icon of freedom and justice but as our own ancestor,” Fraser wrote. “Her courage, sacrifice and relentless pursuit of equality has been a source of strength and pride for generations of our family. In a time when racism and division are once again on the rise, her life’s work feels more urgent than ever.”

“She risked everything to bring her family and others to freedom, and her spirit compels us to continue that fight today,” he continued. “Honoring her now is not just about remembering the past — it is a call to action for the present and the future. May this statue stand as a reminder that the fight for justice is never over and that like her, we must never back down.”

Dufour, who sculpted the statue of Tubman, was invited to speak on her accomplishment, saying she was “honored to have been part of this project that was made possible by this exceptional group of people.”

“Bringing this monument of Harriet Tubman to Binghamton feels especially relevant now,” Dufour said. “As said before, her story transcends time and is a reminder to hold hope hand in hand with action. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished and what this monument represents. I hope Harriet Tubman will be a destination and a touchstone for the Binghamton community and for those who want to walk the Freedom Trail.”

Bailey provided a message of gratitude for Tubman and others whose sacrifices paved the way for American freedoms today. Bailey invited Woodrow Wilson Elementary School fifth graders to partake in a visual exercise that involved passing a baton from the front of the line to the back, demonstrating passing the torch from one generation to push society forward.

The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee Singers, directed by Baruch Whitehead, received a standing ovation for their final song of the event, “Keep Going,” which featured Tubman’s own words.

The crowd was invited outside for the unveiling of the statue before a celebratory reception. Remarks of gratitude were again provided by Bailey and a descendant of Harriet Tubman, Michele Jones Galvin, who will return to Binghamton for a presentation in the fall. A poem entitled “Haiku and Tanka for Harriet Tubman,” written by Sonia Sanchez, was read before the unveiling.

“Picture her saying, ‘You have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world,’” read Qiana Watson ‘12. “Imagine her words, ‘Every great dream begins with a dreamer.’ Imagine her saying, ‘I freed 1,000 slaves — could have freed 1,000 more, if only they knew they were slaves.’”