Harriet Tubman's cousin speaks to local students

CHRIS KELLY staff Sid Taylor, of New Egypt, talks to Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School students about the endeavors of his cousin, Harriet Tubman.

ALLENTOWN - Local second-graders learned about Harriet Tubman recently from one of her distant relatives.

Sid Taylor, a resident of the New Egypt section of Plumsted, visited the Upper Freehold Regional Elementary School on March 20 to speak to 130 second-graders about the importance of generosity and helping others.

Taylor's grandfather, Ross, of Dorcester, Md., was a first cousin of Harriet Ross Tubman. Taylor himself is Tubman's third cousin. He is a retired elementary school art teacher who wrote a book about Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

During the presentation, Taylor spoke about Tubman being a symbol of freedom, courage and unselfishness. She was always willing to help her fellow men and women, he said.

"He also talked about the other good people who helped her to help others by volunteering on the Underground Railroad," said Patti Wahlgren, a teacher in the Upper Freehold Regional School District.

Taylor's objective, according to Wahl-gren, is to teach children that it is good to help one another, to teach others how to help themselves and to spread generosity and kindness.

Wahlgren said, "He inspires the children to find a way to be like her - to reach out and make a difference by helping another person overcome an obstacle."