Fundraiser to replace Harriet Tubman bust at St Catharines church meets its goal but the money keeps rolling in
Published October 26, 2021 at 12:31 pm
You could call the fundraiser to replace the vandalized bust of famed freedom fighter Harriet Tubman at the Salem Chapel British Methodist Episcopal Church in St Catharine a success… and then some.
Just 12 days after the Go Fund Me was created, it surpassed its goal of $13,000 and the money continues to pour in from local residents, pushing it up to $14,073 as of this morning (October 26).
That means Natasha Bell, the woman who not only spearheaded the drive and also attends the church herself, can have the broken Tubman bust replaced with a more durable bronze one at a cost of $13,000.
Bell, best known locally as the owner-operator of BlackOwned905, a site that steers Niagara-area residents toward black-owned businesses, is herself a descendant of an Underground Railroad freedom seeker, the cause for which Tubman is best-known.
When Niagara Region honoured Bell with a Niagara Impact Award in June, it said that she has taken “remarkable steps to help enrich our community by supporting diversity and black-owned businesses across Niagara.”
(Natasha Bell photo courtesy of Niagara Region, Harriet Tubman bust submitted by Salem Chapel BME Church)
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