Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

“For me she is America’s first Black superhero. If intuition, foresight, and navigation can be considered superpowers, she is basically an avenger. One of the big ones. She is Iron Woman.”

The novel is invested in paying homage to the “greats” in the world of Black American history. Darnell is in awe of Harriet Tubman for the role that she played in freeing her fellow enslaved men and women, but also because she shaped American history in a broader sense. The passage’s comparisons of Harriet to an “avenger” and “Iron Woman” speak to the novel’s interest in creating parallels between earlier historical figures and contemporary culture, with Darnell characterizing Harriet as someone powerful and strong like a modern-day superhero.

“She’s now standing just about a yard from me. I could reach out and touch her if I wanted to, but I don’t. Mostly because she looks like she could and would rip my hand clean off, but also, you just don’t go around touching national treasures.”

The author tackles weighty subjects in this novel, engaging with America’s fraught history of racism and racist policy. Nevertheless, he does so while also incorporating humor into his writing. In this scene, Darnell is nervous in the presence of one of the country’s greatest “super heroes,” but he describes his feelings with wit, bringing levity to the narrative.

“She sings as if Dr. Dre and Ella Fitzgerald had a daughter, angry, strong, and smooth all at once.”

Harriet Tubman’s character in this novel lives up to her legend, although sometimes in surprising ways. Darnell is thrilled to find that she is a beautiful singer and a natural performer, reflecting Hip-Hop and the Power of Storytelling.