Harriet Tubman Day Poster Award Winners

Check out the winner and runner-ups for the 2025 Tubman Day Poster Contest

The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies is excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Harriet Tubman Day Poster Design Award. This year's contest asked students to consider the theme "Wild Futures: Taking Flight". The first place poster serves as the official visual for the 2025 Harriet Tubman Day Commemoration event.

Harriet Tubman Day Poster Awardee 2025

 Jayla Ross '26

Artist's Statement

As an artist, I typically aim to be a bit less obvious and direct in my creative representations. I like for the audience to make meaning themselves, facilitated of course by my visuals. So for this commemoration, I wanted to emphasize Harriet Tubman’s incredible impact, even in her physical absence in the poster. I focus on how those fleeing slavery navigated the terrain as a pathway out of bondage. Enslaved individuals who sought freedom had to spend their days and nights restlessly traversing the unforgiving obstacles of the natural world. It does not go unrecognized how difficult this task must have been, but they were motivated by the possibility of living their lives without the oppressive institution of slavery. Their skin would have been cut by the thorned bushes or hard rocks. Their clothes would have been ripped dodging low-hanging branches. Remnants of the shackles that once bound their hands and feet together would have been left to rust in the soil. Their hurried footprints would have marked their journey to a new life. The miles upon miles of trees created a wall between the enslaved individuals and the opportunities ahead. Yet, the North Star lit the night, making the path to freedom slightly clearer.

Furthermore, I wanted to highlight the relationship between blackness and the natural environment. The majority of the poster is composed of a dark wooded area. This is what I imagine a lot of the journey to the North would have looked like. The items I’ve included in the scenery (highlighted in yellow) are things that might have been left behind by African Americans fleeing bondage. Without these items being emphasized, they might not have been noticed. This goes for much of black history within the environment. From the oceans they’ve crossed, to the woods they’ve navigated, the natural world is embedded in the stories of thousands of black people throughout the South. Harriet Tubman, the inspiring female pioneer that she was, led over 70 slaves to freedom. She and other conductors on the Underground Railroad relied on the natural world to lead slaves to a completely new world.

Jayla Ross is a junior majoring in Immersive Media Design and Studio Art (in the graphic design concentration). Graduating in 2026, she hopes to pursue a career in design, with a focus on editorial, publication, and web design. 

Honorable Mention

Kylie Chreky '26

Artist's Statement 

As an artist, my goal is to create work that inspires and moves others. I am currently pursuing a degree in graphic design at the University of Maryland, where I am developing the skills to use visual storytelling as a tool for change. After graduate, I aspire to work for nonprofit organizations that uplift and empower communities, using design to advocate for justice. 

Artwork Overview

In my poster, I illustrated Harriet Tubman as the leader of a flock of birds, signified by her red bandana and lantern. Her lantern lights the path of freedom as she follows the North Star. By portraying people as birds flying together, I aimed to capture the theme of nature and unity -- blossoming into a sky of endless possibilities. My design pay homage to the work of Aaron Douglas, as I am inspired by his work and its connection to African and African American history. For my typeface selection, I referenced on of Douglas's covers for The Crisis , wherein he illustrates a Black woman holding up the weight of the world, embodying her resilience, strength, and the weight of history. 

By integrating symbolism, style, and typography, through my poster, I strived to honor Harriet Tubman, her legacy, the power of Black women, and the relationship between history, nature, and freedom.

Kylie Chreky is an Art Major in the Graphic Design program minoring in General Business. Upon graduation, she aspites to work for non-profit organizations and is passionate about accessible visual communication and using graphic design as a vehicle for social change. You can follow her on instagram at @kylieelianadraws.

Honorable Mention

Olivia King '26

Artist's Statement

The creation of this poster revolves around the idea of "Wild Futures: Taking Flight," by an illustration of Harriet Tubman helping enslaved people escape through the night. By taking precauionary navigation routes, Harriet was able to rescue several families and friends. I wanted to connect her story to this year's theme with a woodland scene, visualizing silhouettes on a frightful journey paired with the warm lighting from her lantern that gives the scene a sense of comfort during a stressful moment. The color orange was emphasized to enlighten the scene and bring warmth to an eerie environment. Fireflies were incorporated to symbolize guidance and hope, while an owl was placed in the top right corner to represent her wisdom and perseverance as well as her owl calls which she used to communicate with other freedom seekers. As the tree branches make their way to the top of the poster, they spell out "Wild Future," physically placing the theme into the environment. Overall, my goal for this poster was to reflect on the relationship between the natural world and freedom through creating a fleeting moment that is surround by color and symbols of optimism and faith during a difficult embarkment.

Olivia King is a junior Art major in the graphic design program.