A new monument will be coming to Washington Park in Newark next summer. It is a tribute to Harriet Tubman called Shadow of a Face, designed by Montclair architect Nina Cooke John.
“One thing that was really critical for me was that this space was not only like a typical monument that you come to learn about Harriet Tubman and her life but also it was a space in which you felt that you could stay for a while,” said John.
The circular monument will guide visitors through a multisensory experience. It replaces the statue of Christopher Columbus that was removed by the city in June 2020.
John says people will get a couple of different perspectives on Tubman.
“One is a really large structure which is a profile of her image, and then her face, which is still oversized but is at a level that you can kind of look into her face but you can also touch it,” John said.
The city will also rename Washington Park Tubman Square when the new monument is installed.
John explained the title.
“That line comes from a poem that references the secret sounds and codes that they had in the dark as people were escaping (via the Underground Railroad).
The monument will also highlight Newark’s role in the Underground Railroad, since New Jersey was not a free state.