Andrea Davis Pinkney - She Persisted: Harriet Tubman

She Persisted: HARRIET TUBMAN

She Persisted: CLAUDETTE COLVIN

She Persisted: SALLY RIDE

She Persisted: VIRGINIA APGAR

She Persisted: NELLIE BLY

She Persisted: SONIA SOTOMAYOR

She Persisted: FLORENCE GRIFFITH JOYNER

She Persisted: RUBY BRIDGES

She Persisted: CLARA LEMLICH

She Persisted: MARGARET CHASE SMITH

She Persisted: MARIA TALLCHIEF

She Persisted: HELEN KELLER

She Persisted: OPRAH WINFREY

When Harriet Green gave birth to her daughter, she held that baby close, whispered a sweet hello, and loved the child with all her heart. The newborns father, Benjamin Ross, most likely cradled his tiny daughter. He was as proud as any daddy could be.

The baby was born on a night so dark, you couldnt see past its black. But the light in that childs eyes was brighter than bright. She had a twinkle about her that shone like the skys prettiest stars.

Nobody knows the exact date this bright-eyed girl came into the world. She was born at a time when not everyone recorded birthdays. It was sometime between 1820 and 1822. Though no one remembers the precise year, one things for certain: this girl grew up to become a great lady whose bravery and grit persisted her whole life, and inspired others to follow.

Harriet and Benjamin went by the nicknames Old Rit and Old Ben. Their new baby daughter was one of nine children. They gave her two names. Harriet, after her mother, and Araminta, which means prayer and protection. Folks called the child Minty for short.

When Minty was born, she cried loudly. It was as if she was shouting her arrival, letting everyone know she had been born to do great things. The North Stars glistening light kept watch over Minty. That star would be a guiding presence for her entire life. It never lost sight of what was beautiful about her.

Old Rit and Old Ben lived on the Edward Brodess planation in Dorchester County, Maryland. As enslaved people, they were owned by the Brodess family. Minty and her parents were considered property, in the same way people had objects like a tea kettle or a hammer that belonged to them. Thats what slavery wasWhite people owning Black people. The Black people worked without pay, and had to do whatever they were told. They called their owners Master or Mistress because these men and women ruled their lives. And, just like objects, enslaved people could be bought, sold, or traded. It didnt matter how old you were, or if you were a man, woman, or child. Mothers and fathers could be sold away from their children, and kids could be purchased and forced to leave their parents.

Sometimes members of a family were split up and sold away from each other without warning. A master or mistress would call you over, look you in the eye, and tell you it was time to say goodbye to those you loved the most.

This is one of the reasons life for enslaved people was so frightening and uncertain. But one thing was for sure: enslaved people were not things. They were human beings with dignity, self-respect and intelligence. These smart, determined people took pride in themselves and their work. They built strong families whose love kept them going through hard times, and whose faith grew as they built a legacy of courage.

Faith and love lived deep in the hearts of Old Rit and Old Ben. They passed these virtues on to Minty.

As she grew, Minty had it hard. Master Brodess was as mean as they come, and greedier than ten hungry hogs. To make money, he rented Minty to the Cook family, farmers who lived near marshy wetlands. Like Master Brodess, the Cooks were cruel people. Minty was only six or seven years old, when she was forced to wade into icy water to catch muskrats snagged in Master Cooks riverbank traps.

Whew, that water was