The Truth About Truth

An evangelist, abolitionist, and women's rights activist are only a few of the many remarkable words to describe Sojourner Truth.  Sojourner was born in to slavery in 1797.  She was bought and sold four times and spent her first twenty-nine years as a slave.  Truth finally become free after she ran away to an abolitionist family who bought her freedom.  It was not until 1851 where Sojourner was recognized by society with delivering her famous speech Ain't I a Woman?  She delivered this speech at a woman's rights conference in Akron, Ohio.  In her speech, she attacked the idea of women being viewed as "weak".  One of my favorite lines from her speech is "Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man."  Truth was a powerful and well respected speaker whos legacy of women's right and racial equality still lives on today.  Her words inspire others to be able to achieve the impossible.  The fact that Truth was illiterate, but still able to accomplish many hardships is remarkable.  Besides delivering her famous speech she became active in the Underground Railroad by helping blacks seek freedom.  During the Civil War Truth traveled throughout many states encouraging young men to join the Union cause.  After many decades of lecturing and changing the way people perceive the world, Sojourner spent her last couple of years residing in Michigan.  She died at the age of 86 in 1883.  Because of her courage to be strong she inspired many others to believe in their abilities.