“Minty”

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it!

It’s emotional and difficult, heartbreaking and hard to swallow! The cruelty and reality of slavery is devastating to imagine and watching, even on screen, makes me want to hide my face and run. Yet, it’s occasionally healthy to look and once again, acknowledge the truth of it.

I first saw it in the movie theater. My husband and I left emotionally spent, spiritually challenged and speechless. Mind you, we are the “happy movie” type, there’s enough sadness in real life.

This is about Real Life!

I remember studying about her as a schoolgirl. I remember children writing reports about her. We had a book in our home library about her life. 

What I didn’t know was her real name: Araminta “Minty” Ross.

I only knew her self-chosen free name, Harriet Tubman.

The movie is “Harriet” released in 2019.

I never realized she was a slave on an Eastern Shore Maryland Farm. My parents retired to that area. I’ve driven by farms on my way to visit for years, never imagining what happened there. That intensified “Minty’s” story for me. I was also born in PA, which is where she found freedom. Her geographical placement; akin to mine.

A huge overarching theme of this movie was Harriet’s relationship with God. She was known as a “Pray-er”, talking with God at inopportune moments, seeking His guidance and following His lead!

In the movie, while she was leading a group to freedom, being followed by their “masters”, she drops to her knees and shuts her eyes. The slaves with her, urging her to move, reach down to touch her and her brother (among her followers) stops them, “Don’t disturb Minty while she’s talking to God!” Their captors were close at hand, but pursuing God’s wisdom and leadership more important.

Waiting for God’s instruction, she rose with clarity and said, “We have to go this way!” A departure from where they were headed, avoiding the unseen trap ahead.

Conviction settled on me and continues two years later from that scene. Has anyone said or thought of me … “Don’t disturb Elaine while she’s talking to God?” Whew!! Has anyone said that about you? Say it with your name substituted. What a testimony that left on my heart! What a testimony she left on the lives around her because of her prayers and following God’s instructions!

There are other very memorable spiritual moments for me in the movie, but I will let you discover your own!

One other fact that looms heavy in my thoughts was her nickname given by Slave Owners. When she started returning and leading other slaves to freedom, no one knew it was her. She stayed as unseen as possible. Missing slaves made the escapes obvious: it was happening. They thought it was a “white man from the north”. They put a price on his/her head giving her the name, “Moses”!

Moses … from the Old Testament is a man I’ve studied and envisioned a lot. He led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom. Imagine what she thought when she saw those flyers tacked on trees! I hope she was proud and humbled. Surely, it spurred her on and encouraged her quest. Unknowingly those men were fueling her fire to free her people, just like Moses. I just love that reference, meaning and visual!

I know Hollywood takes liberties and crafts misleading images many times. But there are quite a few things written about Harriet. Her history is recorded. She had a large portion of passion, conviction, fortitude, perseverance, love and commitment.

Even if moments were fabricated, God reached through her character on screen and touched my soul; in real and deep ways.

I recommend the experience!

Anybody else watch it?

“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person,” she said of making it into the free state of Pennsylvania, where she took on her mother’s name of Harriet. “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’s Biography

P.S. – “Minty” would be an adorable baby girl name … just saying 😉

Inspired by “Minty”,

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