Watch Living Harriet Tubman, a short documentary by Brandon Tauszik and Theo Schear, followed by a conversation with featured performer Nancy Whittle and the filmmakers.
Living Harriet Tubman follows Whittle, a Fresno-based social worker and educator who has spent more than three decades portraying Harriet Tubman at Civil War reenactments throughout California. As she approaches retirement, Whittle stages a final performance that challenges the whitewashed narratives often found in these spaces while reflecting on her personal connection to Tubman and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.
The film follows Whittle to Maryland, where she visits sites connected to the Underground Railroad and reflects on her personal connection to Tubman, the history and legacy of the Underground Railroad and larger questions about who tells history, how the past is interpreted and what responsibilities come with representing it.
Following the screening, Whittle and co-directors Tauszik and Schear will discuss the making of the film, Civil War reenactments and the ongoing questions surrounding how American history is remembered and taught. KQED columnist Pendarvis Harshaw will moderate the conversation.
Living Harriet Tubman was supported in part by California Humanities.
NR, 27 mins., 2026. Closed captions (CC) in English.
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