A statue and plaza commemorating 19th century abolitionist and former slave Sojourner Truth was unveiled Wednesday in northwest Ohio near the site of her iconic 1851 “Am I not a Woman?” speech, according to reports.
The statue and plaza stand on the former site of Akron’s Universalist Old Stone Church, where Truth delivered her famous speech. reportTruth advocated for the civil rights of women and enslaved African Americans, but two versions of the speech Shared by The Sojourner Truth Project reported that the church has since been demolished, and the plaza and statue are in the same location as the United Way of Summit and Medina Counties, according to the Associated Press.
More than 1,000 people attended the unveiling of Akron’s Sojourner Truth statue and Legacy Plaza both locally and online, Sojourner Truth Project Akron said in a statement. Unveiling Ceremony.
Summit County Mayor Eileen Shapiro is Ceremony a “wonderful celebration” And I was grateful Sculptor Woodrow Nash is “a brilliant artist who has brought truth to life for all of us in a beautiful and reverent way,” and Dion Harris is ” [Summit Metro Parks] Thank you for designing such a wonderful plaza.”
Mayor of Akron Shamas Malik says: Some say, “[i]It was an honor to be a part of the unveiling of Akron’s newest landmark.”
“This plaza will remind people to be the first to speak up for all, not just for a few,” Towanda Mullins, president of the Sojourner Truth Project Akron, told The Associated Press, adding that the plaza will honor part of America’s past and help shape its future. (Related article: Civil rights leader who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. dies at 95)
What a beautiful morning! pic.twitter.com/FeGLqqkihr
— United Way of Summit & Medina (@uwsummitmedina) May 30, 2024
On May 29, 1851, Truth gave a short but memorable speech at the Women’s Rights Convention. according to Sojourner Truth Project.
Born Isabella Baumfree in Hurley, New York in 1797, Truth served as a slave for about 28 years. according to Her name is in the Library of Congress (LOC). Though she could not read, she reportedly knew parts of the Bible by heart, and when she became a Christian in 1843, she took the name Sojourner Truth, believing that God had given her that name.
According to the LOC, Truth explained, “I am a traveller because I will travel through the land to show people their sins and be a sign to them; Truth because I will proclaim the truth to the people.”
Truth became the first African-American woman to win a legal battle in the United States, first to restore the freedom of her son who had been illegally sold, and then to win a libel suit against a newspaper that had accused her of being a sorceress, LOC reported.
