The Harriet Tubman Freedom Park (HTFP) commemorates the Harriet Tubman House, a cornerstone of Boston’s Black community for over a century. Founded in 1904 by six visionary Black women, including one of Harriet Tubman’s friends, Julia O. Henson, the house began as a safe home for Black women relocating from the South. It became a vital community center, providing a variety of social programs and offices for six local non-profits.
Concept drawing of the Harriet Tubman House lobby. Courtesy of the Stull and Lee records at Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections.
In 2020, the building was demolished by a private developer to construct luxury housing, an act that highlighted the ongoing issue of gentrification and its impact on community stability. The loss of the Harriet Tubman House not only removed essential services but also erased a physical link to a powerful history of community building and social support.
The HTFP is a project overseen by Mass Liberation to serve as a lasting memorial to the Harriet Tubman House and a tribute to the unyielding spirit of its founders. It is a place of memory, dedicated to honoring the mission of total liberation and celebrating the community that fought to preserve its history. This park is a cultural, educational, and organizing hub for Roxbury residents and organizations to foster community through art and culture.
Harriet Tubman was a courageous and militant abolitionist who dedicated her life to the liberation of enslaved people. Born into slavery in Maryland around 1822, she was keenly aware of the relentless violence and brutal conditions she would continue to endure. In 1849, she made her own escape to freedom in Philadelphia, where she became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Working with abolitionist William Still, she made approximately 13 trips to the South and successfully led many to freedom, including her own parents. She fiercely protected her covert paths, evolving into a renowned leader who directly challenged the power of slave-holding society. At her peak, the bounty for her capture reached as high as $40,000, which today would be a significant amount of money and a testament to her immense impact. She continues to inspire many to boldly champion revolutionary values that empower the working class, especially the Indigenous and other colonized peoples.
Code of Conduct
The HTFP is an open space for and by the working class and oppressed peoples of Roxbury. As a cultural, educational, and organizing hub, we seek to bring people together to build community and share art and culture. It is a place for families and our multi-generational neighborhood to come together and build unity across historic lines of division.
01
No Police Presence in the HTFP.
We recognize the role the police play in our society, protecting and serving the interests of the rich rather than the people.
The police system is historically racist as it targets, brutalizes, and imprisons Black and Brown youth in our communities. For this reason, we do not voluntarily interact with the members, former members, or people working to become members of any police organization, as well as past or present police informants.
02
No Discrimination allowed.
The HTFP is a space for all oppressed peoples. Discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender or gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, or ability is prohibited in the HTFP. This behavior is not welcome here.
03
Be Respectful to everyone.
Roxbury is a multicultural community with diverse perspectives and experiences.
The HTFP is a place for cultural exchanges, dialogue, and community gatherings. We expect everyone to mutually respect one another. We are all part of the same working-class community and strive to build stronger unity despite our differences.
04
No illegal substances in the HTFP.
The use of illegal substances and intoxicants is prohibited in the HTFP. We ask that visitors who smoke do so outside the park.
05
Help us keep the park clean.
The Harriet Tubman Freedom Park is a space owned by Boston’s working class and maintained entirely by volunteers.
We ask that all visitors respect the space and treat it as such. Please leave the park in the same or better condition than you found it. Thank you for keeping the park clean.
MASS LIBERATION
Mass Liberation is a Massachusetts-incorporated non-profit organization.
Its purpose is to create and fund cultural, educational, and organizing hubs, including the Harriet Tubman Freedom Park. Through these initiatives, it aims to create space for families and multi-generational neighborhoods in the Boston area to come together across historic lines of division. It seeks to build community and share art and culture, especially in oppressed, underrepresented, and overlooked neighborhoods.
It is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.