Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth (1797-1883) was a slave at birth. She bore thirteen children and saw most of them sold off into slavery. Standing six feet tall, she was a commanding figure and possessed a strong deep voice. Though she could neither read nor write, she became a powerful speaker. When she spoke, people rallied around to hear what she had to say.

After a mystical confrontation with Jesus, she became a preacher and traveled throughout the country speaking for both abolition and women's rights. During the Civil War she sang and preached to raise money for black soldiers who served in the Union Army.

Recently, a statue in her honor was erected in a small park in Florence, Massachusetts, close to the first home she was able to buy for herself and where she lived for several years.