For years, a National Park Service webpage introduced the Underground Railroad with a striking photograph of its most fearless “conductor,” Harriet Tubman. Her story stood front and center—her resistance, courage, and defiance of slavery underscored as the driving force behind one of the most extraordinary liberation efforts in American history.

Then, she was removed. Without explanation, Tubman’s photo and name disappeared from the webpage. In her place: commemorative stamps depicting “Black/White cooperation.” The original language about slavery and escape was replaced with softened language, reframing the Underground Railroad merely as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement.” Her leadership was diluted, her legacy minimized.

But the public noticed—and responded. After intense backlash from historians, lawmakers, and the public, the National Park Service has now reversed the changes, acknowledging that the edits were made “without approval from NPS leadership nor Department leadership.” Harriet Tubman’s name and image have been restored to the center of the story where they belong.

This reversal is a small but vital victory. We owe everything to the women who risked everything for freedom—none more than Harriet Tubman. She wasn’t just part of history—she shaped it. She escaped slavery, only to return again and again to lead others to freedom, defying one of the most brutal systems ever devised.

Erasing Tubman’s story—even temporarily—isn’t just a revision of history. It’s a betrayal of the truth, and a warning about what happens when we allow essential voices, especially those of Black women, to be sidelined or softened in the name of political convenience.

We must remain vigilant. Freedom was not granted. It was taken—and Harriet Tubman led the way.

The Mindful Grief Series: A Nation in Mourning (Saturday’s Virtual Gathering)

A Nation in Mourning: Grief as Compass in Tumultuous Times
A virtual gathering to pause, breathe, and make space for all that hurts. Led by grief therapist Brian Stefan, LCSW, this experience is part of the Mindful Grief Series: A Nation in Mourning, created for federal and public sector workers, activists, caregivers, and anyone navigating the invisible weight of collective sorrow.

This gathering is not just about death. It’s about loss in all its forms—disillusionment, disruption, overwhelm, and the slow ache of watching the world shift beneath us.

🖥️ Event Details

📅 Date: Saturday, April 12, 2025
🕒 Time:
– 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM PT
– 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM MT
– 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM CT
– 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM ET
📍 Location: Zoom (link provided after registration)
🎙️ Facilitator: Brian Stefan, LCSW (Founder, California Grief Center)
💵 Cost: Sliding Scale using Alexis J. Cunningfolk’s Green Bottle Model (Pay what you can with integrity)

💡 What to Expect

🧭 Grief as Compass
Discover how honoring our grief can guide us through burnout, apathy, and exhaustion.

📉 Naming Invisible Loss
Explore the grief tied to political regression, climate fear, and the unraveling of social safety nets.

🌀 Grounding Practices for Chaos
Learn trauma-informed tools from grief theory, mindfulness, and community care to help anchor and support you.

🤝 A Space for Truth, Not Perfection
No need to have answers, fix anything, or say the right thing. Just come as you are—tender, tired, angry, or numb.

🌱 You Belong, Just As You Are
Whether you speak or stay quiet, turn your camera on or off—your presence is powerful.

👉 Register Here

You’ll receive a confirmation email with Zoom details and simple guidelines to prepare.

Queer Grief, Fierce Love: Healing and Hope on Stage (Sunday’s Catharsis Theater Experience)

A gathering for LGBTQIA+ adults to move, breathe, and be witnessed in full complexity. Led by facilitator Madison Bradfield-Davis and grief therapist Brian Stefan, LCSW, this experience centers queer grief in all its forms—death, identity, politics, climate, rupture, and re-creation.

Event Details

📅 Date:  Sunday, April 13, 2025
⏰ Time: 1:00 PM – 4:30 PM (3.5 hours)
📍 Location: Downtown Culver City (address provided after registration)
🎭 Facilitators: Madison Bradfield-Davis (CASA of Los Angeles; CSULA FREEDOM Lab) and Brian Stefan, LCSW (California Grief Center)
💵 Cost: Alexis J. Cunningfolk's Green Bottle Sliding Scale Method

What to Expect:

🌈 A Brave, Queer-Centered Space – Where grief isn’t silenced or sanitized.
🎭 Healing Through Expression – Using psychodrama techniques and shared ritual to speak what feels unspeakable.
🤝 A Community of Witnesses – Some will share. Some will hold space. All are welcome.
🫂 No Prior Experience Needed – Just bring your body, your truth, your breath.

👉Register Here

Monthly HOPE Group: Mindfulness and Deep Suffering

💛 Healing Ourselves through the Present Moment (HOPE)

📅 Next Virtual Session: Saturday, April 26 | 10:00 AM (PT) | 1.5 hours (Zoom)

🔗Register Here

At the California Grief Center, we offer grief therapy and group experiences designed to support you through loss. Visit www.caligrief.com to learn more about our services and upcoming events.

With care and compassion,

Brian Stefan, LCSW

Founder, California Grief Center