A statue and a plaza memorializing the 19th-century abolitionist and former slave Sojourner Truth were unveiled Wednesday near the site of her iconic 1851 “Ain’t I a Woman” speech in northwestern Ohio, according to reports.
The statue and plaza stand on the site of the Universalist Old Stone Church in Akron where Truth delivered her famous speech, The Associated Press (AP) reported. Truth argued in favor of human rights for women and enslaved African Americans, the two versions of the speech shared by The Sojourner Truth Project showed. The church has since been demolished. The plaza and statue share the site with the United Way of Summit and Medina Counties, The AP noted.
There were over 1000 people both onsite and online who witnessed the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth Statue and Legacy Plaza in Akron, the Sojourner Truth Project-Akron said in a statement at the unveiling event.
Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro called the ceremony a “wonderful celebration” and thanked the sculptor, Woodrow Nash, “the brilliant artist who brought Truth to life for us all in such a beautiful & reverent way”, and Dion Harris, “a landscape architect with [Summit Metro Parks] for designing the stunning plaza.”
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said in part that “[i]t was an honor to be a part of the unveiling of Akron’s newest landmark.”
“It’s going to remind others to be the first one to speak up, to speak up for all, not just for some,” Towanda Mullins, chairperson of the Sojourner Truth Project-Akron, told The AP. The plaza would honor a piece of the U.S.’s past and help to shape its future, Mullins reportedly added. (RELATED: Civil Rights Leader Who Collaborated With Martin Luther King Jr Dies At Age 95)
A beautiful morning! pic.twitter.com/FeGLqqkihr
— United Way of Summit & Medina (@uwsummitmedina) May 30, 2024
Truth delivered the brief but memorable speech at the Woman’s Rights Convention on May 29, 1851, according to The Sojourner Truth Project.
Born Isabella Baumfree in 1797, in Hurley, New York, Truth was enslaved for about 28 years, according to the Library of Congress (LOC). Although unable to read, she reportedly knew parts of the Bible by heart and took the name Sojourner Truth in 1843 when she became a Christian, believing God gave her the name.
“Sojourner because I was to travel up and down the land showing people their sins and being a sign to them, and Truth because I was to declare the truth unto the people,” Truth explained, according to the LOC.
Truth became the first African American woman to win a lawsuit in the U.S. — first winning back her son’s freedom after he was illegally sold, and then winning a slander lawsuit against a newspaper that accused her of witchcraft, the LOC reported.
