Background Information
Last year Bill Conole, from the Skaneateles Rotary Club, gave a presentation to our Rotary Club on Harriet Tubman, the renowned abolitionist, icon, and American folk hero. His presentation was based on the book -Beyond the Underground: Aunt Harriet, Moses of Her People, by Joyce Stokes Jones & Michele Jones Galvin - local co-authors and relatives of Harriet Tubman. His presentation was well received and set in motion three events for our club.
First, the book became a selection for the Rotary Book Club of CNY and it was reviewed at its May 2024 meeting. The group got so excited about the book, the life of Ms. Tubman and the generational knowledge of Ms. Jones Galvin that in July they scheduled a tour of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park which included the visitors center, Ms. Tubman’s home, and the Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church where Ms. Tubman attended.
The second event was Michele Jone Galvin, joining the Rotary Club of Syracuse. She brings with her a wealth of enthusiasm, an abundance of community service, and wellspring of inspiration.
Third, based on the examination of the life of Ms. Tubman, the book club and our Rotary Club concluded that “Aunt Harriet” truly embodied the spirit of Rotary and lived up to and exceeded the motto of “Service Above Self! The Board of Directors of the Rotary Club voted unanimously to award Ms. Tubman the Paul Harris Fellow recognition.
Presentation of the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition
On August 1, 2025, Michele Jones Galvin was the guest speaker at our club meeting. She gave us a first-person account of the efforts that went into co-writing her book with her mother, Joyce Stokes Jones. In addition, she gave us an update on recent activities surrounding Ms. Tubman. One such event was the dedication of a monument honoring Harriet Tubman that was recently unveiled in Beaufort, South Carolina, specifically on the grounds of Tabernacle Baptist Church. The monument features a sculpture of Tubman, created by artist Ed Dwight, depicting her leading a group of people to freedom during the Combahee Ferry Raid. This raid, which Tubman co-led with Union Colonel James Montgomery, resulted in the liberation of over 700 enslaved people.
Another event, based on Ms. Tubman’s military service was that she was posthumously commissioned as a Brigadier General in the Maryland National Guard on Veterans Day, November 11, 2024. This honor, bestowed by Governor Wes Moore, recognized her wartime service as a spy, scout, nurse, and leader in the Civil War. The ceremony, held at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park & Visitor Center, was a private event attended by Tubman's descendants, military members, and local leaders.
Once Ms. Jones Galvin finished her presentation to the club, PDG Don Reese, CNY Rotary District Foundation Chair, presented the Paul Harris Fellow recognition certificate, pin and medal posthumously to Harriet Tubman. It was received by Michele Jones Galvin who thanked the club and told us that it will be displayed with other mementos of Harriet Tubman’s life in a manner and location as determined by her family.
