[HOUSTON, TEXAS, November 22, 2019—] Horizon, led by Al Kashani and Sadie Rucker, took 1,500 students, female leaders and senior citizens to see Harriet, the movie. This effort was aided by Mayor Sylvester Turner and City of Houston and Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Harris County Precinct 1.
Harriet, produced by Houstonian Debra Martin Chase, is a biopic that suspends the narrative of slavery and instead is a historical lesson in humanity of the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad. During the decade period that is chronicled in the film, Ms. Tubman led over 70 slaves to freedom. During the Civil War she became a spy for the Union Army and eventually led 150 black soldiers in the Combahee River Raid, resulting in freedom for over 750 slaves. She remains one of the few women in few women in U.S. history to lead an armed expedition.
“I was giving the opportunity to see Harriet during its premier and I was struck by her perseverance and selflessness. She had her freedom, she was ‘out of the woods’ and yet she chose to go back, to save her family and strangers. All who have suffered oppression can learn a lesson from this story, everyone can take away the triumph in the face of adversity,” Al Kashani, Horizon.
Houston ISD, Aldine ISD, Klein ISD, Spring Branch ISD, City of Houston and Harris County employees, University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Urban League, Precinct One Seniors, charitable organizations and many more attended the movie. These students and leaders watched with excitement as Ms. Tubman took thirteen trips back into enslaved states on her missions, but more so, they were treated to a portrait of her as a woman with courage and individual spirit. This rich tapestry is the first time that her humanity has been exhibited in conjunction with her heroism, creating a relatable woman to uplift all.
If you have interest in seeing the movie, please contact Horizon and ask for Elizabeth Martin.
“I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” Harriet Tubman, upon crossing the boundary line into freedom. Yet, still she went back.
