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Today's Morning Edition music is from Mavis Staples singing the old spiritual "Wade in the Water." 


Harriet Tubman used the song to tell escaping slaves to get off the trail and into the water so that dogs couldn't pick up their scent.


We played it this morning in honor of Harriet Tubman, who will 

 on the $20 bill. The change won't be made until sometime after 2020.

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Harriet Tubman used the song to tell slaves to get off the trail and into the water so that dogs couldn't pick up their scent.

Today's Morning Edition music is from Marvis Staples singing the old spiritual "Wade in the Water." When Harriet Tubman was helping slaves escape their masters, she used the song to signal the escaping slaves to get off the trail and into the water to make sure the dogs that the slave catchers used couldn't pick up their scent.

'Wade in the Water' was coded message to escaping slaves

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