At the core of the civil rights movement lies the bravery and leadership displayed by Harriet Tubman, an enslaved Black woman during the mid-1800s who freed not only herself but countless others by way of the Underground Railroad system. Her epic journey has been the story of legend, one taught in classrooms, depicted on the big screen and a catalyst in the longstanding fight to one day get her face on the American $20 bill.
Harriet’s legacy has also led to the creation of multiple museums in her name, one in particular being the Harriet Tubman Museum & Education Center in Cambridge, Maryland. However, the longstanding organization is now in need of support to preserve the space after vandalism last weekend resulted in costly damages and a $3,000 theft.
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The museum, currently closed for repairs, sent a message out on their official website in order to bring awareness to their current situation with a note that reads, “The weekend of July 11, we were the unfortunate victims of vandalism. Our back door was broken and our donation box was stolen. We will be closed until further notice as we access the damage and work to repair it. We would greatly appreciate any donations to make up for what was lost and remedy the affects of this disheartening crime.” This comes just one month after a celebrated re-opening of the center in response to recent flood repairs. Also, the door that was broken down was part of an actual mural, which adds even more monetary concern to have it replaced.
What makes the situation even more daunting is that authorities believe the party responsible is very familiar with the building layout, specifically where the donation box was located. More details below via WBOC News:
“‘They knew exactly where the money was,’ said Cambridge Police Capt. Antoine Patton. ‘We believe this was an opportunist who had been inside the museum before. It appeared that they broke into the rear door and walked right in and walked directly to the money and took the money container and walked out. Nothing else inside the museum was disturbed and bothered.’
Staff estimate the donation box had around [$3,000] in it — a significant loss for a museum that runs entirely on donations and charges no admission fee.
‘We weren’t planning for this,’ said Linda Harris, director of events and programming for the museum. ‘We just raised money to redo our museum. Now we’ve got to raise more money. So, I’m very sad. This place has been here since 1992. It’s an institution. It conveys the story of a person born here in Cambridge. And for someone to vandalize it, it’s pretty sad.’”
So far no suspects have been identified being that the current security system hadn’t even been activated given the short timeframe since the museum’s initial reopening. With repairs needed for the door and mural, in addition to an updated security system, the fundraising goal is estimated to stand between $10,000 and $20,000.
