Wonder Woman of the Week: Sojourner Truth

This week’s spotlight was a major advocate for not only women but for African Americans as well. She was born into slavery, escaped with her daughter to freedom, then sued her son’s master for his freedom. She advocated for the Women’s Rights Movement to include women born into slavery, she helped slaves gain their freedom during one of the most dangerous periods of United States History, and stands today as one of the most important figures of the Civil Rights. Sojourner Truth is the Wonder Woman of the Week.

Sojourner Truth was born under the name Isabella Baumfree around 1797 to slave parents. Her father was captured in modern-day Ghana and sold into slavery in North America. Her mother was the child of slaves captured from modern-day Guinea. Isabella and her parents were owned by a colonel in New York until his death sent them to the colonel’s son Charles Hardenbergh. When Hardenbergh died in 1806, the family was divided. Isabella was sold with a flock of sheep to John Neely and later John Dumont. It was under Dumont’s ownership that Isabella learned how to speak English. [1]

Isabella suffered from sexual and physical abuse from her owners. While at the Dumont estate, Isabella would go to the forest by herself and speak with God. [2] In 1815, Isabella married Thomas, a fellow slave, and had five children. She was sold another four times until she walked to freedom in 1826 with her infant daughter Sophia. She lived in New York City until 1843 when she changed her name to Sojourner Truth and dedicated her life to preaching the horrors of slavery. She moved to Massachusetts and purchased a home in Ohio. She traveled across the Midwest giving lectures on the abolition of slavery, women’s rights and suffrage, the rights of freed slaves, the prohibition of alcohol, and prison reform. During her travels, she met with historic figures such as Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Cucretia Mott, and William Lloyd Garrison. [3]

Sojourner Truth was not only a powerful speaker. The six foot-tall woman was an unmatchable debater. She argued about violence against slavery with Frederick Douglas and even met with President Abraham Lincoln at the White House. During the American Civil War, Truth traveled all over the state of Michigan- where she had moved to during the 1850’s- collecting food and clothing for African American soldiers. [4] Truth’s most famous speech on the topic of African American and Women’s Rights was her “Aint I a Woman?” speech which called out the hypocrisies in 19th Century Chivalry. The speech cited that while men helped white women into carriages that they forced black women to work in fields. While white women were held to a standard of fragility, black women were whipped and raped. She called out hypocrisies in Christian sexism citing Jesus was the product of God and woman, not God and man. She finished by stating that if the first woman turned the world upside-down by herself, a room full of women could turn it back again. [5]

Sojourner Truth may be a certifiable saint. Born into slavery, Truth believed God himself told her to walk to freedom. She decided to not only use her freedom to free herself and her family, but worked tirelessly to help other slaves gain their freedom. Truth met with Civil Rights leaders from around the country, spoke with Abraham Lincoln, and delivered one of the most powerful speeches of the history of Women’s Rights. Sojourner Truth had a magnetism that brought people together from diverse backgrounds for a universal goal; abolishing slavery. Truth was without a doubt a major factor in the end of slavery in the United States and was a major player in the 19th Century Women’s Rights Movement.

“Sojourner Truth Biography.” 2015. Biography.com. Accessed 16 December 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/sojourner-truth-9511284

“This Far by Faith.” 2003. PBS.org. Accessed 16 December 2015. https://www.pbs.org/thisfarbyfaith/people/sojourner_truth.html

Butler, Mary G. “Sojourner Truth A Life and Legacy of Faith.” 2015. SojournerTruth.org. Accessed 16 December 2015. http://www.sojournertruth.org/Library/Archive/LegacyOfFaith.htm

“Sojourner Truth.” 2015. History.com. Accessed 16 December 2015. http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/sojourner-truth

“Sojourner Truth.” 14 December 2015. National Park Service. Accessed 16 December 2015. http://www.nps.gov/wori/learn/historyculture/sojourner-truth.htm