This past week, I attended the opening ceremony for the Harriet Tubman Auburn Mural Commemoration. It was a lovely event attended by the organizers of the mural, the Harriet Tubman Boosters, and the artist commissioned to do the piece, Arthur Hutchinson. The mural is located at 66 Genesee St., and anyone visiting downtown Auburn is going to see the spectacular visual story of Harriet Tubman, and the community is further enriched by its addition. It’s certainly a proud moment for Auburn and for Central New York to have such a meaningful dedication in our community.

Like most others who grew up or lived in the vicinity of Auburn, I heard stories told of the famous Underground Railroad conductor choosing Central New York as her chosen home. On the surface, one could understand why – despite being a bustling metropolis like so many that dot the New York state landscape, there’s an intimacy to Auburn that isn’t matched elsewhere; a strong sense of community spirit that ties the people together. The weather is pleasant and manageable, and the region is continually accessible for all. But those are reasons most modern people look for when moving to an area. For Harriet, it was all about the continued fight for liberty and equality.

An abolitionist at heart even after her time as conductor came to an end, Tubman had lived in Ontario, Canada for a time, moving her family there in 1851. It wasn’t until she got word of a larger, growing abolitionist movement in Central New York that she, at the recommendation of her longtime friend Lucretia Mott, moved to Auburn in 1859. Lucretia was herself another abolitionist and women’s rights advocate and could see the changing landscape in America for what it was. Central New York played home to the spark of the movement, and Lucretia knew Harriet’s voice would prove to be a powerful one in the fight for continued equality.

So, the Tubmans did move down to Auburn, and Harriet is documented as continuing her advocacy for equality all the way up until her death in 1913. Her life story is one of constant bravery and hard work and is a rightful inspiration for millions of Americans today, and billions of people worldwide. Arthur Hutchinson’s mural beautifully captures some of her most notable life moments, from leading the Combahee River Raid in South Carolina to serving as a nurse during the Civil War to her participation in the women’s suffrage movement. I’m very proud of the mural organizers for pushing to have Auburn recognize its most famous resident in such a beautiful and inspiring way, and I’m thankful to Arthur for taking up the task of commemorating such an inspiring woman and delivering a breathtaking mural the community will forever enjoy. Projects like these, with the community rallying together for a good cause, only continue to make me proud to live in Central New York, the best place anyone could live in the U.S.