Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert

Harriet looms large in the novel’s first chapter. So great is her importance within the narrative that the protagonist, Darnell, introduces Harriet before himself. He is struck initially by the power of her physical presence, observing: “She wears pain, pride, and dignity on her face all at once. She has one of those faces that looks like she’s always been old” (7). Darnell is familiar with Tubman as a historical figure, and what he describes matches the likenesses of her that are often encountered in history books. Nevertheless, the focus of this novel is very much on what is left out of history books, and Darnell’s initial observations about her personality speak to the large body of information about Harriet that is not as well-known.

Darnell notes her direct, down-to-business way of speaking. She has a commanding presence, is aware of it, and uses it to shape the course of conversation. Harriet is decisive, knows what she wants, and has a plan in place to obtain it. That she feels her work with Darnell was pre-ordained by God and gives him little choice in the matter of collaborating with her speaks to her strength of character: In Harriet’s life, she makes all of the decisions with help from God. These personality traits are a subtle nod to the author’s interest in reclaiming the power and agency of the formerly enslaved. In this book, they become not passive individuals subject to the will of others, but subjects in their own right who make their own decisions.

The power of community is also evident in this first set of chapters as the author begins to explore The Multi-Faceted Nature of Black American Identity. Harriet introduces her band, the Freemans, all formerly enslaved men and women. Each member of the band is as talented as Harriet herself, and each plays an important role in spite of the celebrity of their headliner. As Darnell begins to get to know Odessa, Moses, Buck, and DJ Quakes, he learns each person’s individual history and is struck by how varied they are. This will become important in subsequent chapters as Darnell confronts his own limiting belief that there is only one way to “be Black” in the United States.

Religion emerges as a key point of inquiry around identity in this section. Harriet is a devout Christian, and her character represents the important role the Christian church has played in many African American communities throughout history. Darnell himself grew up in the church and, for him, it symbolizes an important aspect of Black identity. He is sure that to “be Black” in America, it is essential to be Christian. Darnell himself does not believe in God, and this disconnect has played an instrumental role in the identity confusion he’s long experienced.

Speaking with Buck and Quakes, who, to varying degrees and for different reasons, are also not as devout as Harriet, opens up Darnell’s eyes to new possibilities. Buck in particular, who argues that Christianity was a tool to keep the enslaved docile (by modeling obedience as an act of allegiance to God), allows Darnell to approach race and culture in a new way. This interrogation of the role of Christianity in Black life and African American identity is fraught: Black churches have been important within many Black communities, but Buck’s viewpoints represent an, albeit controversial, alternative model for Black engagement with religion. The author handles this conversation with respect for both sides, again highlighting the importance of listening, respecting, and holding space for people with different lived experiences.

Hip-Hop and the Power of Storytelling and The Erasure of Black History also emerge as key themes during these introductory chapters. Darnell is blown away by the power of Harriet’s voice and the beauty of her songwriting, and it becomes evident that Black art forms like Hip-Hop and rap will play key roles in the way that this novel approaches history and both social and racial justice. History will come to play a powerful role within the storytelling and music-writing process, too: Harriet’s songs are ostensibly records of her life, and in order to help her write them, Darnell must learn more about the experiences of Harriet and her band members. Darnell is eager to learn more about Black history, but is unprepared for the exact nature of the lessons: He learns that much of what he thought he knew is only a partial picture of what life was like for enslaved men and women, and that many of their actual, lived experiences have been erased from the history books.

Odessa’s story is instrumental in setting this tone. A bi-racial woman who worked in a house rather than in the fields, she shatters many of Darnell’s preconceptions. From Odessa, likely the child of the rape of an enslaved woman by her enslaver, he learns that life was not as “easy” as he thought for men and women who worked inside rather than in the fields. She also explains that enslavers encouraged this misconception to sow discord between those who worked outside and inside, thus dividing and conquering. Darnell’s reaction to this information becomes a powerful empathy model that the author returns to over and over as the book progresses: He realizes that even though he is Black, he can never truly understand the experiences of the enslaved, and the best course of action for him going forward is to listen, empathize, and hold space for his ancestors to tell their stories.

This novel is also interested in drawing points of connection between the past and the present. It presents Black history as one long, unbroken legacy that, although often hidden from the mainstream, can become an important well of energy and source of pride for African Americans. In one of the narrative’s first past-meets-present moments, Darnell takes Odessa to Sylvia’s, a soul-food restaurant in Harlem. Sylvia’s is a real restaurant, a cultural institution that opened in 1962 and has become one of the most famous Southern food establishments in New York City. Taking Odessa, who, as an enslaved cook, was never allowed to consume the best of her dishes, to a restaurant whose menu represents Odessa’s own part in African American culinary history is a powerful statement on the enduring nature of Black culture even in the face of oppression.

This set of chapters contains one of Harriet’s most important stories and the basis for her own reclamation of power and agency. She describes watching her mother stand up to a white man who wanted to purchase her brother and recalls: “I had never seen a white man be afraid of a woman, let alone a Black woman. In that moment I realized I was powerful too” (38). This, too, becomes an important model that the author will repeatedly return to, the idea that white enslavers never truly had full power over the enslaved, and that individuals like Harriet Tubman helped their friends and family to understand that, finding metaphorical freedom first in their hearts and minds before actually escaping or being set free by the Emancipation Proclamation.