This bonus episode is a condensed version of our interview with musician, artist and activist Rhiannon Giddens. She’s a Grammy-winner, and you might know her as a founding member of the band Carolina Chocolate Drops.

As we were really examining the experience of African Americans in the 19th Century, we discovered Rhiannon’s song, “At the Purchaser’s Option.”

Rhiannon was inspired to write this song after seeing an advertisement where a man was attempting to sell a young woman he had enslaved. The end of the ad said that the young woman for sale had a nine month old baby who was “at the purchaser’s option.”

We talk to Rhiannon here about the song, her music and Harriet Tubman.

If you’d like to learn more about visiting places that tell the story of Harriet Tubman, The Underground Railroad and the 19th Century African American experience, especially in the state of Virginia, go to https://www.virginia.org/harriet.

“Following Harriet” was produced by INGREDIENT (https://www.ingredientcreative.com/) with Tanner Latham as executive producer and Tanya Ott as the writer and director.

”Following Harriet” is sponsored by the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Film Office.