black history
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By Moise Michel
Rita Daniels is a Queenpreneur who happens to be the great, great, great grand niece of the iconic Harriet Tubman. She’s on course to continue to help and advocate for folks in the black community via The Harriet Tubman Learning Center (HTLC). Below Ms. Daniels answers my questions with very thoughtful, poignant and powerful answers! 1)Tell me a little about yourself? “I was born in Auburn, New York where Harriet Tubman lived the last 50+ years of her life, where she died and is currently buried at Fort Hill Cemetery. This is also where my deceased family members are also buried (Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Father, etc.). I have Two grown children (Ronald Franklin Nash and RiShana Dior Nash (both married) and I have 4 grandchildren (Kierra, Kalen, Mia and Amiyah). I went back to school at the age of 60 to earn my master’s degree in Education and my bachelor’s degree in Human Resources. It was my belief that if I went back to school, I would position myself with the credentials to open a “private” school in honor of my great, great, great Aunt’s name – The “Harriet Tubman Learning Center” (HTLC) starting in Atlanta where the school is needed and then throughout the United States where a school of this magnitude is necessary (especially in the low-income communities.” 2) What is your relation to Harriet Tubman? “Harriet Tubman is my Great, Great, Great Aunt.” 3) How proud are you to be a part of Harriet Tubman’s lineage? “Elated.” 4) What were your initial thoughts when you found out you are related to this historical icon? “My initial thoughts were that of mixed emotions. For 1, being related to a slave who had a bounty on her head and for 2, being proud that she was never
Footsteps
Mya Childs
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Harriet Tubman’s
Great, great neice of Harriet Tubman-Geraldine Daniels, Great, great, grand neice of Harriet Tubman-Rita Daniels (both sitting) Mya Childs, Hashaqueena Earth, Star Jones (standing)
caught for freeing nearly 300 slaves - she is also slated to be on the $20 bill and that leaves me with mixed emotions – happy for her being recognized as an icon – but also what money currently stands for is “root of evil.” 5) When you hear your great great aunt’s name what comes to mind about her? “How proud I am of her total dedication of giving back to others. It reminds me that her work is not done and how important she was to others in obtaining their FREEDOM! She made those 19 trips on feet to ensure Freedom for others – her HEART was huge!” 6) What inspired you to create your community center? “Harriet Tubman was vehemently denied an education and therefore could not read or write - she died illiterate…This is still a problem although Blacks are given equal rights in education, however, many of our people are still illiterate. They are reading below grade level and just knowing that an eighteenyear-old young man is reading at only a fourthgrade level is heart breaking to me and it should be to everyone else. The Harriet Tubman Learning Center is necessary because our mission is to combat
24 OASIS/Montage January • February 2019
Oasis Montage Jan 2019 FINAL.indd 24
1/4/19 6:55 PM
