The mural was painted by Michael Rosato.

A new mural featuring a powerful image of Harriet Tubman has just been finished and is attracting attention from around the country, with some people moved to tears.

Located on the side of the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center at 424 Race Street in Cambridge, Maryland, the mural shows Tubman with her hand outstretched, beckoning the viewer to join her on a journey to freedom. The mural was painted by Michael Rosato, a muralist who lives in Dorchester County, Maryland, where Tubman was born and lived in slavery for more than 25 years.

In an interview with a viewer, Rosato talked about what he is trying to convey through this mural. “The inspiration comes from that moment when a slave has to make a decision to go. This incredibly strong and compassionate woman is about to offer that hand for that freedom. And I thought, how do I capture that moment where it all happens, when the risk was taken to run from the slave owner, to a woman taking a risk to bring you through to the other side. This is that special moment when the hand is being offered. She has to be compassionate, but has to assert a certain authority.”

For more information about the Tubman Museum & Educational Center, please visit harriettubmanbyway.org.