Take a moment to picture a broad-shouldered,
six-foot-tall African-American woman, with deep-set brown eyes and high,
prominent cheek bones. A woman with a disfigured hand from a childhood
accident, whose voice is just as powerful as her silence. A woman who
interrupted and challenged the famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass about his
approach to combating racism at a conference in Boston[1].
A woman who despite never learning how to read or write, successfully became
one of the most influential figures in American history. That woman was
Sojourner Truth.
Sojourner Truth is the name
Isabella Baumfree chose for herself in 1843. Before then, Isabella was a girl born
into slavery to Dutch owners in New York sometime during the year 1797. Here
she was sold from slave owner to slave owner throughout her childhood until she
was eventually sold to James Dumont in 1810. Here she remained for sixteen
years, bearing five children throughout that time period, until in 1826 when she
escaped to freedom. Truth chose to escape because when the process of
abolishing slavery was being initiated in New York, slaves were not expected to
be emancipated until 1827. However, Dumont promised to give Truth her freedom a
year early. Not long after, Dumont changed his mind and told Truth he would not free her early.
Angered, Truth left four of her five children behind and fled, finding shelter
from a Quaker family[2].
Sojourner Truth persevered through decades
of slave labor, consistent abuse, and so much more. In 1815, Truth fell in love
with a slave named Robert from a nearby farm. Their relationship was forbidden
by Robert’s master. When Robert snuck out to meet Truth one night, he was
caught by his owner and his owner’s son who brutally beat him. Robert later passed
away as a result of the injuries[3].
Despite all she went through, including the loss of a loved one, Truth prevailed
as a proud and self-assured woman. These hardships are what eventually leads
her to recreate her identity by naming herself Sojourner Truth. This name
reflects Truth’s belief that it was her mission from God to travel and speak
the truth. Though sometimes met with hostility, Truth maintained her dedication
to traveling and preaching about her beliefs. For this reason, Truth is remembered
as a fierce, strong-willed woman who advocated for the rights of women and the
rights of African-Americans. She fought for what she believed to be right and
moral despite the consequences and the opposition she would face. The legacy
she left behind depicts a feminist, an abolitionist, a powerful speaker, and a
leader in the fight for human rights. Truth was and is a role model for many,
as she demonstrated that it is possible to make your voice heard despite those
who try to silence you and make you think you’re inferior. She is a symbol for
speaking the truth even if you are standing alone. The impact that she left on
this world, and that she left on the many people who followed in her footsteps,
is often minimized and can go unnoticed, which is why it is so important to
reflect on the life she lead.
Having never learned how to read or
write, Truth was unable to leave behind any first-hand accounts of her work.
The only records of her tremendous speeches and discussions are transcriptions written
by white women, who have been revealed to twist the truth in their reports[4].
The authors of these transcriptions went as far as omitting parts of her
speeches, depicting the crowd as hateful towards Truth when in reality they
were not, and even describing Truth as speaking with a southern accent though
Truth always lived in New York. Despite this, the information available about
Truth gives insight to her revolutionary views and beliefs. Despite being held
back by the inability to read or write, she persisted and continued to travel
and spread the truth.
The speech Truth is most famous for
is “Ain’t I a Woman?” which she presented at the Women’s Rights Convention in
Akron, Ohio in 1851. In this riveting, unique speech, Truth probed why women
are viewed as inferior to men. She declared that she is able to do as much work
as a man: she could carry as much, mow as much, cut as much, eat as much. Truth
challenged men, such as when she said, “You need not be afraid to give us our
rights for fear we will take too much… The poor men seem to be all in
confusion, and don’t know what to do.”[5]
This forceful speech left an imprint on those who sat in the audience, who were
in awe of Truth’s passion and strength. The unique perspective that she was
able to give as an African-American woman and a former slave captivated those
in attendance.
Another event that Truth is most
renowned for was when she won a court case against a white male in 1828, making
her one of the first black women to have accomplished such a feat. This case
was for the custody and freedom of her son Peter, who was illegally sold as a
slave to another slave owner who abused him viciously[6].
This accomplishment, along with the many other experiences that Truth
underwent since her escape from slavery led her to find God. This was the point
in time where she made the decision to reestablish herself, and in 1843 she
changed her name from Isabella to a name that she felt was more suitable,
Sojourner Truth, which means “traveler.” She became a devoted Christian and
began traveling and speaking about women’s rights and abolition.
Sojourner Truth’s life is one that
was led by her perseverance and her dedication to what she felt that God was
calling her to do. She dedicated her life, her experiences, and her wisdom to
the human rights movement in an effort to ensure equality between genders and
races. Truth resisted and fought oppression on all fronts for her whole entire
life. The impact and progress she made for human rights has contributed to the
point we are at today: where all races and genders are provided with education,
where all races and genders are able to vote, and where great strides have been
made to eradicate prejudice and racism from our society.
 |
| Portrait of Sojourner Truth. Unknown Photographer. Gladstone Collection. 1864. |
[2] Washington, Margaret.
"Going 'Where They Dare Not Follow': Race, Religion, And Sojourner Truth's
Early Interracial Reform." The Journal of African American History 1 (2013):
48. General OneFile. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
[3] Gilbert, Olive, and
Sojourner Truth. Narrative of Sojourner Truth. Champaign, Ill: Project
Gutenberg, 2000. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
[4] “Sojourner Truth.”
Available Means: An Anthology of Women’s Rhetoric(s). Eds. Joy Ritchie and Kate
Ronald. U of Pittsburgh P, 2001. 143-46.
[5] Baym, Nina, and Robert S.
Levine. The Norton anthology of American literature. 8th ed. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company, 2013. Print.
[6] Washington, Margaret.
"Going 'Where They Dare Not Follow': Race, Religion, And Sojourner Truth's
Early Interracial Reform." The Journal of African American History 1 (2013):
48. General OneFile. Web. 11 Feb. 2017.
Sojourner Truth, a woman escaping from the adversity that was her previous life, is a remarkably poignant figure that embodies the spirit of a feminist fighting for equal rights. I had previously known brief facts about her and had also listened to her "Ain't I a Woman" speech, which was indeed, as you describe it, riveting. This entry further adds to the already positive feelings I have for a her, and it was a lovely read from start to finish; I especially liked the introduction to Truth, which provided artistic impact to open with her journey. As both a slave and a women during the late 1700s and 1800s, rights for someone like her was less than likely; however, even in times where one can simply give up, Truth takes the path that little may have followed to pursue her desire for equality, changing her name to suit her task given to her by God. Such perseverance in the face of hardship brings to mind Atticus Finch, a character of justice and equality in the acclaimed novel "To Kill a Mockingbird". Like Truth, Atticus fights for racial equality, becoming the lawyer of the wrongfully accused defendant, Tom Robinson, who, because of his race, is deemed guilty. That path that was less taken surely has opened up incredibly in modern ages for the coming feminists to follow; the Women's March is another prominent idea that comes to mind, which not only illustrates the diverse races supporting feminism but their choice in banding together to achieve their goal. Even despite her lack of reading or writing skills, she still managed to become a voice that breaks the silence of oppression, and is a figure worthy of her name. Was it hard finding transcripts of her speeches, since many had omitted parts? If she obtained the skills to read and write, how farther do you think she could have gone in her journey to preach for equality?
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley!
DeleteThank you for your insightful response, I also knew little about Truth before I began this project and I found it very interesting to learn so much about her. I have never read "To Kill a Mockingbird," but I like the connection you drew between Truth's experiences and Atticus's experience. It certainly can be difficult to take the path less traveled, especially in a time period where her revolutionary views were highly controversial. In regards to your question, it was more difficult for me to decipher what actually happened than to find the transcripts. Many of Truth's speeches were transcribed by white women, so I was able to find a few different accounts for the same speech. It was difficult to decide which information was accurate, however there are historians who can vouch for a lot of what was real and what was not. I think that she could have made a bigger impact if she was able to read or write because we would have first hand accounts of her ideas. That was another difficult part, there are no primary sources for Sojourner Truth. However, I think her lack of ability to read and write symbolizes how a lack of education can oppress people. In those times, keeping women and African-Americans uneducated was an attempt to keep them in an inferior and dependent position.
My first impression when I read your article was that your opening was truly unique. It made me really imagine what Sojourner Truth looked like. When I kept reading your article I became more and more impressed about the accomplishments of Sojourner even though she could not read or write and had a smaller voice than men because she was a women at a time where women did not have rights. Even after her traumatic experiences as a slave and her losing her lover, rather than getting beaten down by it she used it to grow and as motivation. Sojourner Truth reminds me of Antigone, a female character from the Theban plays. Antigone is similar to Sojourner in the way that they both furiously fought for what they believed in despite having little power. I wonder what fueled you to choose her for your article? Was it because she could not read or write but fought hard anyway or was there another underlying reason.
ReplyDeleteHi Trangvy,
DeleteThank you for reading my post, I'm happy that the introduction helped you to envision Sojourner Truth! I liked where you said "...they both furiously fought for what they believed in..." The strength, courage, and bravery it took for Truth and Antigone to do what they did is often undermined. They overcame many obstacles and tragedies but somehow persevered and continued to fight. In regards to your question, what fueled me to choose her was initially her interesting background: a former slave, a feminist, a civil rights activist, etc. But as I did more research, I realized how incredible she was and it bothered me that she is treated like a footnote in American history. I mean, you probably remember learning about her briefly in grade school, but nothing very in-depth. This fueled me to try and write an interesting piece about Sojourner Truth. The fact that she could not read or write was just another obstacle she faced in her journey.
Sojourner Truth was an incredible women who greatly impacted history by bringing forth her own opinions of equality, and the unjust treatment of people of different races and sexes. I truly enjoyed reading her story, and find that your descriptive introduction of Sojourner Truth is a strong point of the article. Truth’s empowering speeches influenced other activists to speak out in hopes of gaining a more equal society. Truth overcame her inability to read and write, persevering by putting her thoughts and opinions out into the world through word of mouth. Atticus Finch from the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” was also a man who used his resources to allow others the opportunity to be heard. He took it upon himself to represent a man of color in court, going against the opinions of the other citizens. He stood for his own morals and principles rather than conforming to the expectations of others, and in turn allowed his children to follow by his example. Sojourner Truth played a major role in leading society to be more accepting of all races, genders, and religions. If she were present today what do you think she could improve upon or achieve for society?
ReplyDeleteHi Aaliyah!
DeleteThanks for reading and responding to my post. I'm glad that you see how she influenced other activists, as Sojourner Truth made a much bigger impact on society than people know. Your reference to "To Kill a Mockingbird" definitely reminds me of Truth, because she also went against the norm to fight for what she believed to be right, even though her life may have been easier if she conformed and accepted society for what it is. People like her and Finch were trailblazers. I think if she was present today, she would be generally happy with how the world is. Minorities have more rights now than was even though possible in her time, women have made great strides towards equality. Our society is nowhere near perfect, but I think Truth would be pleased. I think that if she was alive today, we would have an incredibly detailed first-hand account of what slavery was like from the eyes of a slave. With the technology available today, her message and experience would be widely shared and would make a great impact on society as people would be able to humanize and truly emphasize with slaves.
Sojourner Truth was a very independent woman who is an inspiration to women everywhere. She was very courageous and is (what I would consider) an amazing role model for girls and women everywhere. The way you introduced your article by having the readers imagine her physical attributes really helped me put a face to the name despite seeing pictures of her before. It helped me to imagine her in my in perspective. She greatly impacted history by speaking about unjust treatment of different races, mainly African American people. Her speeches other people like her to speak out against unequal treatment of people.One of her main goals was for everyone in the world to be treated equally despite race or sex. Sojourner Truth reminds me of Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird because both spoke out against unjust treatment of a group of people. Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson when no one else would just like Sojourner Truth spoke for all of the people who couldn’t speak up for themselves. What do you think Sojourner Truth would think about how we treat certain people today and what would she do to change it?
ReplyDelete-Charisa Beale
Hi Charisa,
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your response, it was very thoughtful and insightful! I agree that Sojourner Truth is a great role model, as she conquered all odds and never gave up. I can see how Truth is like Atticus, as both of them were brave enough to speak out about a controversial issue. Sojourner Truth fought for many slaves and former slaves, just as Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson. I think that considering the time she was from, Truth would think that we have achieved total equality. I mean think about it, she spent almost half of her life being enslaved and the rest being viciously discriminated against; the mere thought of an African-American president would be incomprehensible to her. But on a real note, I think she would eventually be able to recognize that we have not achieved complete equality and she would try her hardest to spread her message to the people.
As slave she was dehumanized, treated as an object customized to function in accordance to the will of her master, as a woman she was not considered “man enough” to state her opinions, but was rather a puppet in the hands of her superior, men. Sojourner Truth was not only a woman, but a black woman, which in the 1800s meant had no status or identity. I am extremely familiarized with her momentous “Ain’t I a woman?” speech, in which she challenged the misogynistic views of society. Unlike the likes Susan B. Anthony, an influential feminist, Truth spoke with regards to not just women but made emphasis on BLACK women, because aren’t they also women? Despite her unprivileged background she made a name for herself in the books, as a fierce abolitionist and women’s rights activist, which is perfectly conveyed through your article. In some aspects Curley’s wife, a fictional character in Steinbeck’s Of mice and men, mirrors some of her attributes. Curley’s wife is audacious and constantly goes to seek companionship to quell her loneliness, whether or not she is welcomed. She is alienated from her husband and the workers, who ridicule and abstain from her, as they view her as nothing but a flirtatious “tart,” but that doesn’t deter her from going to the ranch. Truth also reminds me of Malala, who stood up for the educational rights of girls in Pakistani, taking a bullet to the forehead, which showed the incomparable degree of her persistence. Given, several feminist movements that have occurred over the years, do you believe that the gap between men and women has been bridged?
ReplyDeleteHi Miracle,
DeleteThank you for reading my post! I like that you understand how deeply oppressed Truth was, being both African-American and a female. I love the point you bring up about Susan B. Anthony, as this brings up the most aspect of true feminism: inter-sectional feminism. It is very important to consider the issues of racism when contemplating and discussing the issues of sexism, which is why Sojourner Truth is such an important part of American history. I understand the point you are making about Curley's wife (I love "Of Mice and Men"), as Truth did not let others hold her back from doing what she wanted to do. I love the connection you made between Truth and Malala, as they have so many similarities. These are people who stood up for their beliefs despite the horrific, sometimes life-threatening consequences. People like this are/were incredibly brave, which is why I strongly believe they should be taught about more! As for my opinion on this gap between men and women, I strongly believe this has not been bridged. And maybe there never will be complete equality, but I believe in perseverance and people like Truth who will never stop fighting for equality. From her perspective, I think Truth would believe that the gap between men and women have been bridged, considering women are able to vote and hold valuable, high-ranking jobs and be independent. However, I feel that there is still a lot of work to be done.