Harriet Tubman – On Freedom, Fear, and Never Looking Back
Recorded via ChronoTranscriptor™ – March 10, 2025
[Host Introduction]
Today on ChronoTalks, we sit across from a woman whose name is synonymous with liberation: Harriet Tubman—abolitionist, spy, conductor of the Underground Railroad, and American legend.
Born into slavery around 1822 in Maryland, she escaped in her twenties and returned—again and again—to rescue others. Her bravery was not metaphor. It was cold nights, close calls, loaded guns, and relentless resolve.
With the help of the ChronoTranscriptor™, we speak with her now—not just as a symbol, but as a voice.
[Interview Begins]
Host: Ms. Tubman, welcome. It’s an honor.
Harriet Tubman: Don’t you start with flattery. I came to speak the truth, not to hear my name polished.
Host: Fair enough. What do you want people to understand about your time?
Harriet Tubman: That freedom wasn’t given—it was taken. Folks talk now like the past was inevitable. It wasn’t. Every step I took was a choice between fear and fire. You don’t walk through the dark with dogs on your trail unless you know something brighter is up ahead.
Slavery wasn’t just whips and chains. It was silence. It was not owning your name, your children, your breath. We broke that silence. That’s what the Railroad was—a whisper turning into a roar.
Host: How did you find the strength to go back—risking your life to help others escape?
Harriet Tubman: I didn’t find it. It was always there. I knew what slavery was. That knowing don’t leave you. And I knew the way out.
So I went back. Not once. Not twice. Nineteen times.
People say I was brave. Maybe so. But mostly I was stubborn. The Lord gave me a job, and I wasn’t done till it was finished.
Host: Were you ever afraid?
Harriet Tubman: Afraid? Every time. But fear ain't the same as quitting.
Sometimes I’d feel that fear rising like a storm, and I’d pray—“Lord, you’ve got to see me through.” And He did. Not always the way I wanted, but always the way I needed.
I carried a pistol too. Not just for slave catchers—but for anyone who got cold feet and wanted to turn back. I couldn’t risk a soul endangering the others.
Host: What do you think of the word “hero”?
Harriet Tubman: I think it’s too clean. Makes it sound like I had a cape and a speechwriter. I had worn shoes, scars on my feet, and people depending on me.
I never had a map—only the stars and the Lord. I wasn’t trying to be a hero. I was trying to get folks free and keep ’em breathing.
Host: You later worked as a scout and spy during the Civil War. Was that a different kind of fight?
Harriet Tubman: Different uniforms. Same war.
Freedom don’t come with a signature on paper—it comes with struggle. I was proud to serve. Proud to lead raids and guide soldiers through swamps and backwoods I knew like prayer.
I wasn’t fighting for politics. I was fighting for people.
Host: If you were alive today, what would you want young people to know?
Harriet Tubman: That the fight ain’t over. It’s just changed shape.
There are chains you can’t see. Shackles made of laws, of money, of who gets heard and who don’t.
You want to honor me? Don’t put me on a dollar bill—stand up. Help someone get free. Speak when they say be quiet. Walk when they tell you to wait.
Host: You once said you could have freed more slaves if only they knew they were slaves. Do you still believe that?
Harriet Tubman: I do. Some folks carry their chains in their minds. They think small because they’ve been taught to. They think “I can’t” before they ever try.
Wake up. Look around. Ask who’s profiting off your silence. Then speak louder.
Host: If there’s one thing you want to be remembered for?
Harriet Tubman: Not for being fearless. But for not letting fear decide for me.
And for going back—for not running once, but running back.
[Closing Remarks]
Host: Ms. Tubman, thank you—for your words, your fire, and your fight.
Harriet Tubman: Don’t thank me. Use it.
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Harriet Tubman: The Path to Freedom is a compelling and unflinching portrait of one of the most courageous figures in American history. Born into the brutal confines of slavery, Harriet Tubman not only escaped to freedom—she returned time and again, risking everything to guide others along the Underground Railroad.
More than a biography, this is a powerful journey into the soul of a woman whose unyielding strength, fierce determination, and moral clarity made her an enduring symbol of resistance and hope. Readers will witness her extraordinary evolution: from enslaved child to fearless conductor, Civil War scout and spy, and lifelong champion for justice and human dignity.
Told in vivid, intimate detail, this narrative illuminates the defining episodes of Tubman’s life—her perilous rescue missions, her strategic brilliance in the Combahee River Raid, and her unwavering fight for liberation in all its forms.
For those seeking to understand the true meaning of freedom, courage, and resilience, Harriet Tubman: The Path to Freedom offers an unforgettable tribute to a woman whose legacy continues to shape the conscience of a nation. More information…