Ain't I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism

In 1851, Sojourner Truth, a Black woman, took the stage at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Born into slavery in 1797, Truth grew up on a New York estate and experienced physical violence at the hands of her enslavers. In 1827, she escaped with her infant daughter and sued her former enslaver for custody of her son, making her the first Black woman to take legal action against a white man and win. In 1843, she experienced a religious conversion and felt called to share her story with others. By the time she reached Akron, Truth was an established abolitionist speaker. She traveled across the country, asking her audiences to turn their eyes to the reality of slavery and the specific impacts the institution had on Black women. At the convention in 1851, Truth reacted strongly when white men began to take over the meeting, and she argued that she deserved the same respect and rights as men and white women.

Sojourner Truth had a strong and revolutionary message: Black women, who experienced the most oppressive effects of sexism and racism within the institution of slavery, were excluded from the conversation about liberation. At the convention, Truth challenged any focus on women’s rights that failed to include the anti-slavery movement.