In conjunction with Black History Month, The Westport Library invites you to celebrate the life and achievements of pivotal American abolitionist Harriet Tubman with author Jean Marie Wiesen and great-great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman, Rita Daniels, as they speak on their new book, Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary. This talk will be moderated by TEAM Westport chair Harold Bailey, Jr.
For all Harriet Tubman’s accomplishments and the myriad books written about her, many gaps, errors, and misconceptions of her legendary life persist. Harriet Tubman: Military Scout and Tenacious Visionary sets out to rectify these omissions and many others. As recognition and tributes to Tubman’s remarkable contributions to American history and civil liberty continues to grow, the time is right for a new biography with the involvement of her family, who have been the caretakers and stewards of her legacy for generations.
Just who was this remarkable woman? We might know the outlines of her story, but the deep research of Wiesen and rich family memory of Daniels combine to form a nuanced and vibrant portrait of a historic figure we all thought we knew. Uncovering Harriet’s ancestral roots in Ghana and exploring her time on the underground railroad, as a military scout, suffragette, and more, Harriet Tubman is an inspiring and illuminating narrative about a key figure in our history.
This author talk is presented in partnership with TEAM Westport and the Westport Museum for History & Culture.
Rita Daniels, the great-great-great grandniece of Harriet Tubman, is the President and Founder of the Harriet Tubman Learning Center (HTLC) based in Powder Springs, Georgia. She earned her Master’s Degree in Education and Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources (Cum Laude) at Trident University International. Rita’s mission is to promote the education of underserved children, so no child suffers the humiliation of illiteracy, as Harriet did.
Jean Marie Wiesen, a noted investigative author and mystery crime writer, is author of Case of the Missing Look Alikes and Case of the Mouse Trap Legend. She attended Art Center College of Design in Southern California, where she majored in Still Photography and minored in Creative Writing. The author continued polishing her writing craft under the tutelage of British author Robert Pollock.
Harold Bailey, Jr. is Executive Vice President of McLeod Associates, Inc. Prior to his retirement as Vice President, he was on the leading edge of IBM’s transition from hardware centricity into the software and services businesses. He has been Chair of TEAM Westport (the Town of Westport, CT’s Council on Diversity) since its inception in 2003. He is a recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award for Upper Fairfield County, the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County’s ACE Award, and the Westport Country Playhouse’s 2024 Leadership Award. He is a graduate of Brown University from which he received undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Applied Math as well as an Honorary Doctorate for alumni service. He is an alumnus and trustee of the Tilton School (NH) from which he received the George L. Plimpton Award for outstanding contribution to society.
