Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

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

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

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