“You have made it 100 miles to freedom all by yourself. You’re going to have to pick a new name.” –William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.)
The trailer for Harriet, the untold true story of Harriet Tubman was released today, and here’s what parents need to know. Harriet tells the real-life story of Harriet Tubman, a woman who escaped slavery and became a heroic freedom fighter and iconic woman of faith. Directed by Kasi Lemons (Eve’s Bayou, Black Nativity, Luke Cage), this historical biographical drama appears to give an honest and real depiction of what life was like for an escaped slave, gives a glimpse of the Underground Railroad, the social norms during slavery as well as the often unspoken histories of escaped slaves and what they were willing to risk in order to escape.
With faith and tenacity, Tubman who was later given the name “Moses” escaped from slavery and traveled 100 miles to freedom. Freedom was not enough, as she knew that slavery was truly a social injustice. So, Tubman went back into slave territory many times to free hundreds of slaves over a time period.
Parents need to know that biographical films like Harriet provide a positive opportunity to teach your children about this particular part of American history. Harriet is not just a film or movie for parents of children of color, but rather a film that showcases social norms that were in place that still affect society globally today. Based on the scenes from the trailer, there are plenty of scenes where Tubman showcases the character traits of: courage, tenacity, persistence, bravery and strength. These are habits that any parent would want their children to possess.
For preteens and teenagers, this trailer denotes that it will be an educational accompaniment to Social Studies curriculum as well as social justice discussions within a classroom setting as well as amongst peers in general. Films like Harriet matter, because a history forgotten-is a history that will repeat itself.
The film stars Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman, with a stellar ensemble which includes: Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monae, Joe Alwyn, Clarke Peters and Jennifer Nettles.
Focus Features will distribute the film nationwide. The film is set to be released nationwide on November 1st, 2019.
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