A New Monument

Honoring Harriet Tubman

In June 2020, amid calls for racial justice and by order of the Honorable Mayor Ras J. Baraka, the City of Newark commissioned artist and architect Nina Cooke John to design a monument to honor the legacy of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. This network of abolitionists and safe houses assisted enslaved people on their journeys north to freedom and had many “stations” in New Jersey, at least one of which was in Newark.

Cooke John’s statue portrays Harriet Tubman in two perspectives: as a larger-than-life figure rising over two stories tall, and at eye-level, where her face emerges, putting her bravery and strength of character within reach. The title of the monument, Shadow of a Face, refers to a 1962 Robert Hayden poem, entitled Runagate Runagate.

Hoot-owl calling in the ghosted air,
five times calling to the hants in the air.
Shadow of a face in the scary leaves,
shadow of a voice in the talking leaves …

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As you walk around the monument, explore the tiles created by local residents and hear Newark's own Queen Latifah and others narrate stories about Tubman and the city’s history of Black liberation. Audio is produced by Audible, headquartered here in Newark. The company shares in the mission to elevate underrepresented voices, bring people together through diverse storytelling, and advance racial justice and equity in the city and beyond.

Local historians, Dr. James Amemasor, Noelle Lorraine Williams, and Dr. Linda Caldwell Epps, were commissioned to provide historical research for the project.

This monument is a Design for Freedom by Grace Farms Pilot Project, which is dedicated to eliminating forced labor in the building materials supply chain.

EXPLORE.

Explore the walls of the monument to learn about Harriet Tubman’s life and Newark’s Black Liberation history.

SEE.

See images of liberation created by Newark residents in the community mosaic.

HEAR.

Hear Newarker’s personal liberation stories and the history of the Underground Railroad in the accompanying audio experience.

Nina Cooke John developed the details of the construction of all the parts of the monument, working collaboratively with a structural engineer and the individual fabricators for different portions of the monument.

WATCH

Nina John Cooke’s Submission Video

The Harriet Tubman Monument Project was funded by The City of Newark, Audible, the Mellon Foundation, and individual residents in partnership with The Newark City Parks Foundation, Newark Arts, The Newark Museum of Art, and the Newark Public Library.