Wor-Wic students honor Harriet Tubman with Beacon of Hope poetry contest

SALISBURY. – On the Eastern Shore, feeling a sense of attachment to Harriet Tubman is nothing out of the ordinary.

“Some of my ancestors were slaves, some were native Americans, some were Africans,” said Maritime Museum professor, Dr. Clara Small. “You can’t teach history and not have a connection to someone; she’s an inspiration to me.”

Tubman led enslaved individuals to freedom and was recognized as the best conductor on the underground railroad. In the same sense, dr. Small leads students to enlightenment, through one of the oldest forms of communication, poetry.

“With education, that’s an opportunity to do your best,” dr. Small said. “Once you do your best, no one can ask anymore of you.”

Dozens of Wor-Wic students, alumni and community members submitted poems, highlighting Harriet Tubman as their Beacon of Hope. Seven of those people were finalists for the poetry competition, and one of them was Nanyamka Criner.

“For me to be selected out of a number of people and be number seven, it just meant a lot to be able to honor such a beautiful person, who brings so much history to the state of Maryland,” Criner said.

In the same way that Tubman overcame adversity, dr. Small wants each student who shared their body of art with the community, to know that they can be their own Beacon of Hope.

“I want them to know that they can succeed if they want to, know that they can add their contribution to others, and the only limitation they have is themselves. That’s the only limitation,” dr. Small said.