“Oh, Harriet!” Natasha Spence’s poem saturated the venue as people stood to their feet testifying in agreement as she unfurled why Harriet Tubman’s contributions to society were purposed to be retold and studied. More than a poem, Harriet Tubman’s life is a symbolic lesson in Courage, Liberation, Radical Love, and Faith, says the founder and principal, Jeremiah Locket, of the Harriet Tubman School of Excellence (HTSE), a Micro School on the Indianapolis’s Eastside.
Many recognize Harriet Tubman and her most significant contributions as an abolitionist, humanitarian, spy for the Union Army (during the Civil War), or as “Black Moses,” the “conductor” to freedom on the Underground Railroad, little speak of her contributions to education—although Tubman did not have a formal education, she recognized how the power of education transforms lives, and she was determined to ensure that African Americans had access to the same opportunities as their white counterparts—a foundational idea of the Harriet Tubman School of Excellence.
While many Indiana school districts, directors, and principals look for new pedagogy and a masterful way to unfurl a curriculum with evidence that would dramatically improve Indiana literacy, Harriett Tubman School of Excellence has returned to its roots and a Tubman concept to excel in teaching and learning.
Like Tubman, Locket believes education is critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and oppression. Still, some states do a better job of holding education in high esteem or providing quality education to their residents. In a 50-state comparison using 18 metrics across educational domains, Wallet Hub examined the key factors of a well-educated population: educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between genders and races;” Indiana ranked 38th with low education and low income (employing education as an indicator of income).
I recently had the chance to interview HTSE’s Principal Locket about his school, its namesake, and why micro-dosing (in the educational sense) is the key to macro results.
In his response, Principal Locket shared, “I purposely founded the Harriet Tubman School of Excellence as a private institution to safeguard from the ebbs and flows of political play and manipulation.” He shared that a micro-school allows educators to zoom in on personalized teaching and learning; because of the low student-teacher ratio, the HTSE foci is on individual student needs and interests. Scholars have the full attention of the educator, and every scholar is educated using innovative teaching methods. The Harriet Tubman School of Excellence learning environment also centers on science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literacy, and project-based, evidence-based learning experiences.
“The Harriet Tubman School of Excellence is rooted in our fundamental beliefs. We believe every scholar can and must learn at a high level. We believe every scholar wants to be affirmed for who they will become. We believe every scholar needs a champion to believe in them,” says the founder.
Principal Locket explained that Harriet Tubman is a model of liberation, radical love, courage, and divine-like compassion for God’s creation. “We strive to infuse all of these qualities within the DNA of our school’s culture—focus and purpose.”
A handful of public or private schools in the United States can live up to the expectation of carrying the name Harriet Tubman. Even fewer have the skill, stamina, and courage to do the work needed to ensure the effort (along with the expectation of success) warrants the legacy. That is what the descendants of the Tubman family examine of persons waiting to utilize the name. The great, great, great grand- niece Rita Daniels shares how the family preserves Tubman’s legacy by speaking internationally of family factual accounts of a tested history, additionally sharing rare heirlooms and artifacts.
On October 28, 2023, at 11 AM, Tubman’s descendant, Ms. Daniels, will be the keynote speaker for the Harriet Tubman School of Excellence’s History in the Making Gala at Zion Hope Church Fellowship Hall (5950 E 46th St, Indianapolis, IN 46226). The event is a fundraiser, and the community is invited (there is a nominal fee to attend). For more information about the Harriet
Tubman School of Excellence Micro School or the fundraising event visit https://htseindy.org.
Tasha Jones is a poet, writer, researcher, and educator whose work explores language as a tool for liberation and resistance. She hosts In the Beginning: The Spoken Word Podcast, the #1 spoken word podcast on Apple and Spotify. Tasha is also the Poems & Parables Literary Journal editor and is currently writing Pyramids. Plantations. Projects. Penitentiaries. You can follow her on social media: @iamtashajones, @itbspokenwordpod, and @poemsandparables.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://indianapolisrecorder.com/harriet-tubmans-descendants-come-to-indianapolis/&media=https://indianapolisrecorder.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Tasha-Jones-Bio-Pic-1.jpg&description="Oh, Harriet!" Natasha Spence's poem saturated the venue as people stood to their feet testifying in agreement as she unfurled why Harriet Tubman's contributions to society were purposed to be retold and studied.){kind=link}