Folk musician, storyteller, and educator Reggie Harris recently visited Hamagrael Elementary School to deliver an interactive presentation featuring songs and stories.

Reggie Harris is a Kennedy Center Partners in Education teaching artist with more than three decades of experience. He is one of the premier interpreters of the use of music in historical movements for social change. Using songs and stories, Harris guides students through one of the most pivotal chapters in American history. His program, titled Music and the Underground Railroad, highlights the role of freedom songs in the struggle for liberation. 

During the program, Harris shared the story of a woman named Araminta “Minty” Ross. Students got to know Araminta through Harris’ engaging music and storytelling. They learned about her family and childhood, as well as her escape from enslavement. Harris highlighted Ross’ immense courage and determination as she returned to guide her family and dozens of other enslaved people to freedom. At the conclusion of the program, students learned that Araminta Ross was the birth name of Harriet Tubman.

Led by Harris, students participated in call-and-response songs, learning the vital role music played as a covert form of communication for enslaved people and their allies. Songs often carried hidden messages about meeting times, safe locations, and escape routes.

Harris’ charismatic storytelling and songs about slavery and the quest for freedom bring history to life, revealing the hope, power, and eventually the triumph accomplished by a shared network of multicultural allies. 

Thank you, Reggie Harris, General Music Teacher and Choral Director, Courtney Giampaolo, and the Bethlehem Music Association for making this visit possible!