Known for her role as a leader in the Underground Railroad movement, Harriet Tubman once said “I had crossed the line. I was free; but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land.”

On Thursday, Feb. 4, Tubman – played by Ilene Evans – will visit West Virginia University. The History Alive! performance will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room of WVU’s Honors Hall, located on 2nd Street.

Tubman, who lived from 1820-1913, was born into slavery in Maryland but escaped through the Underground Railroad to Pennsylvania in 1849. She then became the most famous leader of that network, aiding slaves in their escape to free states and Canada. She was known as “Moses” to the hundreds of slaves she helped to freedom and the thousands of others she inspired.

Tubman was never caught and never lost a slave on the route to freedom. She later went on to help John Brown recruit men for a raid on Harpers Ferry and was known for her struggles in the women’s suffrage movement.

During her performance, Evans will take the audience on an adventure through time using story, sound, music and imagination. She uses her performances and workshops to “give voice to the sound and songs that have brought peace and reconciliation throughout time,” Evans said.

“I celebrate our diversity, our creativity, our resilience and our beauty. In seeking out the wisdom and humor of the world, I blend the timelessness of folktales and traditional tales with contemporary issues and genre,” Evans said.

Evans tailors her programs to meet the learning goals and needs of her audiences. She brings her characters to life so the audience can experience living history.

Evans performance is sponsored by the WVU Honors College. The History Alive! program is sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council with additional financial assistance from the Office of the Secretary, West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts.

The West Virginia Humanities Council is a private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational programs in the humanities for all West Virginians. For over 30 years, the council has been providing educational programs in the humanities across the state.

For more information about the History Alive! program or the humanities council at 304-346-8500 or visit http://www.wvhumanities.org .

-WVU-

ml/01/27/10

CONTACT: Marie E. Leichliter, WVU Honors College
304-293-2100, Marie.Leichliter@mail.wvu.edu