New Radio Station ‘Finds the Harriet Within’

In Cambridge, a town rich with the legacy of Harriet Tubman, a new radio station will draw inspiration from the strength and vision of the iconic emancipator, reaching homes all along the Mid-Shore through music, history, and community voices, all under the banner “Find the Harriet Within.”

Accordingly named WFHW (90.3 FM), the new station will “go live”  on October 12, 2025.  The NPR member station is a partnership between the Harriet Tubman Museum & Educational Center, Building African American Minds (BAAM), and Radio Chesapeake (WHCP FM 91.7). 

 The station broadcasts from a tower in Trappe, recently upgraded to expand coverage across most of the Mid-Shore and beyond (photos by The Spy’s own Agent 86), and will also stream programs online, with archives posted to YouTube for a broader audience.

Linda Harris, a Tubman museum board member, historical tour director, and musician, will serve as Station Manager for WFHW.  She recounted that the museum board applied for –– and somewhat surprisingly secured — the license two years ago, and later transferred it to WHCP.

“Harriet Tubman is about true self-love, community, helpfulness, and fearlessness,” Harris said, describing the station’s founding idea. “If you have those principles in your life, then you’ll be a fantastic person.  The station will reflect those ideals.” 

For Harris, the station is a way to heal and connect Cambridge. “We hope the programming we bring will connect people through stories, topics, and music.” Volunteers will create original shows, from music sets to talk programs and civic conversations. 

Harris herself will host “What’s Your Journey?,” a weekday program featuring local people discussing their paths through family life, work, and relocation, with tracks from regional musicians woven into each broadcast from her extensive collection of recordings from artists based on the Mid-Shore, filling her daily hour with local sounds. 

WHTW’s program will share diverse stories from local history, often paired with music that reflects the coded songs of the Underground Railroad. Civic leaders and local officials will also join the station to discuss civics and Cambridge’s future.

Through BAAM, the station will provide an opportunity for young people to gain radio training and produce a weekly show, adding fresh voices and perspectives to the programmatic stew, which will share space with well-known NPR content.  

Rounding out the executive team central to WFHW’s development is WHCP Station Manager Amanda Tilghman and Lori Thomas, who will host a program on women’s issues. The station will initially broadcast in WHCP’s Cambridge studio, but parts will emanate from the Tubman Museum once renovations are complete.

“We are curating a program schedule that goes beyond the mainstream,” Tilghman noted. “It’s music for everyone paired with honest conversations about universal themes and shared values.”

The launch doubles as a celebration. On October 12, the Avalon Theatre hosted a fundraiser featuring Edward Henderson’s acclaimed Prince tribute, joined by regional leaders such as former Cambridge Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley. 

For Harris, success will be measured in staying power and participation. “Success is simply being on the air, staying on the air, and engaging the community,” she said. Donations have already begun, a sign the idea may be just what Cambridge needs in these divided times. 

For more information, email [email protected].