The statute, “Harriet Tubman Beacon of Hope” leaves the John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid on Sept. 30 to continue its national tour. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

There are only a few weeks left to visit the enormous bronze statue of Harriet “Moses” Tubman overlooking the Adirondack Mountains at the John Brown Farm Historic Site. The Wesley Wofford sculpture, “Harriet Tubman Beacon of Hope,” is part of a national tour and leaves the area on Sept. 30. I know a few details about Harriet Tubman’s extensive work, but even a complete internet deep-dive couldn’t do her justice. From enslaved woman to abolitionist, nurse to suffragist, Tubman dedicated her life to equality for all.

The spot chosen for this visiting art exhibit is perfect. I didn’t realize that Tubman and Brown were friends and co-conspirators, working extensively toward the freedom of enslaved people. Brown even dubbed her “General Tubman.” In addition to being a conductor on the Underground Railroad, helping to free over 70 enslaved people, Tubman assisted in providing geographic expertise for the Harpers Ferry raid. It is poignant to see Tubman raising the North Star to the sky while gazing toward a statue of her friend, John Brown.

For those who may not know, the Underground Railroad was a network of safehouses that provided sanctuary to freedom seekers, while the conductors were brave souls who led each journey. So Tubman, as an escaped enslaved person, risked her life and own freedom by continuing to venture into slave states to help free others. To learn more about the Champlain Valley line of the Underground Railroad, visit the North Star Underground Railroad Museum at Ausable Chasm. The museum is free (donations accepted). Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Sunday but will close Oct. 14 for the season.

According to Wesley Wofford’s website, the sculpture hopes to amplify Tubman’s message of equality so that children and adults can find the courage and inspiration to “walk in her footprints” and see it in themselves to become a “beacon of hope.” Wofford’s sculpture has Tubman holding a golden North Star to the sky, reaching for freedom. Her other hand holds a golden key to inspire viewers to unlock their inner strength. She stands on the broken yoke of slavery while at her feet, the shackles and chains demonstrate all the lives harmed by slavery. The open shackles symbolize the people Tubman and others led to freedom through the Underground Railroad. The closed restraints show the unfinished work “essential to achieving a just and equitable future for all.” Another 11-foot version of “Beacon of Hope” is permanently installed at the Dorchester County Courthouse, Cambridge, Maryland, where Tubman was born in slavery in 1822 and eventually escaped.

I look at this statue of Tubman in awe that one person could be so brave. I can’t even fathom her struggles, which I will never endure. Learning about Tubman showed me how much more I need to grow. I hope we all can unlock our inner strength and use it to help achieve an “equitable future for all.”