Black History Lunch & Learn at WVNCC

A “History Alive” presentation featuring Harriet Tubman, leader of the Underground Railroad, will be held at the Wheeling and Weirton campuses of West Virginia Northern Community College to commemorate Black History Month in February.

Tubman is portrayed by Ilene Evans for the program sponsored by the West Virginia Humanities Council to be held by WVNCC as a special Lunch & Learn event at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Wheeling campus B&O Building auditorium, 1704 Market St., and at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in room 251, Weirton campus, 150 Park Ave.

The public is invited to attend the Lunch & Learn event on the Wheeling campus. Members of the public wishing to attend are asked to provide an RSVP by Feb. 4 to Ida Williams, WVNCC Student Activities program coordinator, by calling 304-214-8917 or by emailing her at iwilliams@wvncc.edu.

Tubman was born into slavery in 1820 in Maryland but escaped through the Underground Railroad in 1849. She became the most famous leader of that network, aiding slaves in their escape to free states and Canada.

When the Civil War erupted, Tubman’s Underground Railroad experiences and knowledge of covert operations made her an invaluable source to federal officers. She served as a spy, nurse, scout and guide for Union troops and was present at the ill-fated assault of Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts in South Carolina. She died in 1913.

This West Virginia Humanities Council program is being hosted by WVNCC and is supported with additional financial assistance from the Office of the Secretary, West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts.