Meet the Fort Wayne native channeling Harriet Tubman through storytelling and connection

Caroline Brewer, a nationally recognized author and Fort Wayne native, inspires communities to connect the past and present through storytelling.

Now based in Washington, D.C., Brewer is a former columnist for the Journal Gazette and a former contributor to Frost Illustrated (now the Fort Wayne Ink Spot). More recently, she’s found a creative outlet through writing and illustrating children’s books. Her 2022 title, “Say Their Names,” was written from the perspective of a child, in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. It reflects poetry, history, and a love-inspired vision for the future.

Brewer’s most recent release, “Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature,” is 48 pages and more than a collection of poems. She describes the award-winning piece as a journey into the life and legacy of one of history’s most courageous figures.

“Harriet Tubman’s strength, courage, and wisdom were deeply tied to her relationship with the natural world,” Brewer says. “I hope readers come away with a deeper understanding of how nature played such a powerful role in her life and what that means for us today. We need to deepen our connections with the environment — it’s essential for our survival.”

Speaking of connections, Brewer’s journey to write the book was as immersive as the story she tells. While serving as communications director for the Audubon Naturalist Society in Maryland, Brewer developed a special interest in the Black heroine, spurred by the opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center.

Brewer’s research was extensive, drawing on the expertise of historians and biographers. 

“Kate Clifford Larson is considered the definitive biographer of Harriet Tubman, and so she was a consultant to me on the book,” Brewer says.

The Fort Wayne Urban League’s President and CEO Aisha Arrington says she sees Brewer’s work as a vital tool in the organization’s mission to empower communities and promote civil rights. Arrington emphasizes the importance of connecting young readers with history, particularly during Black History Month.

“So many of our kids don’t know their own history,” Arrington says. “Because it’s Black History Month, it’s important that we bring up topics in history and people in history, and we need to do more of that, especially with so many books being on banned book lists and removed from classrooms and curricula constantly changing.”

The Urban League’s youth literacy programs are a cornerstone of this effort. The Chief Condra Ridley Library, which serves as a hub for the Urban League’s after-school programs, recently acquired multiple copies of Brewer’s book.

“In our after-school program, kids are required to read for 20 minutes each evening, and so they’re constantly accessing the Chief Condra Ridley Library,” Arrington reflects. “Connecting them with an author whose book they’ve read is a powerful way to inspire them.”

However, Brewer’s February 21 appearance at the Urban League will be far from a traditional book reading.

“This presentation at the Urban League, as all my presentations, will be very interactive,” Brewer says. “We will be singing, chanting, clapping, toe-tapping. It’s a different kind of way of exploring a book, and I call it taking a journey with a book.

This interactive approach is designed to engage readers of all ages, though Brewer is particularly passionate about inspiring young people in and outside the classroom. She’s a former reading teacher and classroom teacher. Her work has also taken the form of countless public speaking engagements. She estimates she’s reached more than 27,000 teachers, children, tutors, parents, librarians, and general audiences.

In her words, “I hope young people especially come away inspired with the power of books and reading, and how much you can learn from a single book that could change your life.”

Arrington shares this sentiment and makes the case for the importance of uplifting the community in today’s world.

“Every time we turn on the news, we’re faced with challenges — whether it’s civil rights, community interactions, or global conflicts,” she says. “Programs like this are essential to remind people that we’re still standing with them and fighting for those civil rights.”

For Brewer, the event is both a homecoming and an opportunity to leave young minds inspired.

“I invite young people to go on a journey with me into the heart of the story, to feel it in ways that they might not feel it if somebody’s just reading to them.”

Brewer’s work will take center stage at an upcoming event hosted by the Fort Wayne Urban League on February 21.

When: February 21, 2026, 1 to 4 p.m.

Where: Fort Wayne Urban League’s Chief Condra Ridley Library, 2135 S. Hanna Street Fort Wayne, IN 46803

Price: Free, but registration is encouraged