The electrifying speeches of Sojourner Truth - Daina Ramey Berry
In early 1828, Sojourner Truth approached
the Grand Jury of Kingston, New York.
She had no experience
with the legal system,
no money, and no power
in the eyes of the court.
Ignoring the jury’s scorn,
Truth said she was there to fight for
custody of her five-year-old son Peter,
who’d been illegally sold
to an enslaver in Alabama.
As the trial played out
over the next several months,
Truth raised funds,
strategized with lawyers,
and held her faith.
Finally in the spring of 1828,
Peter was returned to her care—
but Truth’s work was far from over.
She would dedicate
the rest of her life to pursuing justice
and spiritual understanding.
Truth was born into slavery
as Isabella Baumfree
in the late 18th century
in Ulster County, New York.
Although New York state had announced
the abolition of slavery in 1799,
the emancipation act was gradual.
Those who were currently enslaved
were forced to serve a period of
indentured servitude until their mid-20s.
Throughout this period,
enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree,
tearing her from her loved ones.
Often, she was explicitly prevented
from pursuing new relationships.
Eventually, she married an enslaved man
named Thomas,
with whom she had three children.
She was desperate to keep
her new family together—
but the slow progress of abolition
threatened this hope.
Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont,
had promised to free her by 1826.
When he failed to keep his word,
Baumfree fled for her safety.
During the escape, she was only able
to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia,
while her other children
remained in bondage.
It would be two years before
she regained custody of Peter.
After that, she would wait
another two years
before she saw any of her other children.
During this time,
Baumfree found solace in her faith
and became increasingly dedicated
to religious reflection.
After settling in Kingston, New York,
she joined a Methodist community
that shared her political views.
She continued her practice of speaking
aloud to God in private,
and one night, her evening prayers
took on even more sacred significance.
Baumfree claimed to hear the voice
of God, telling her to leave Kingston,
and share her holy message with others.
Though she never learned to read or write,
Baumfree became known
as an electrifying orator,
whose speeches drew on
Biblical references,
spiritual ideals,
and her experience of slavery.
Her sermons denounced the oppression
of African Americans and women in general,
and became prominent in campaigns
for both abolition and women’s rights.
In 1843, she renamed herself
Sojourner Truth
and embarked on a legendary
speaking tour.
Truth saw her journey
as a mission from God.
Her faith often led her
to the nation’s most hostile regions,
where she spoke to bigoted audiences
as the only Black woman in the crowd.
Truth was confident God would protect her,
but some crowds responded
to her bravery with violence.
During one of her sermons,
a mob of white men threatened to set
fire to the tent where she was speaking.
In her memoir, Truth recalled steeling
herself to confront them:
“Have I not faith enough to go out
and quell that mob…
I felt as if I had three hearts!
And that they were so large,
my body could hardly hold them!”
She placated the men with song and prayer,
until they had no desire to harm her.
Truth’s speeches impacted thousands of
people in communities across the nation,
but her activism went far beyond
public speaking.
During the Civil War, she became involved
with the Union Army,
recruiting soldiers and organizing
supplies for Black troops.
Her work was so well regarded that
she was invited to meet President Lincoln.
She took the occasion to argue
that all formerly enslaved people
should be granted land by the government.
Truth continued to travel
and speak well into her 80s.
Until her death in 1883,
she remained an outspoken critic
who fought for her right to be heard
in a hostile world.
As Truth once said, “I feel safe even
in the midst of my enemies;
for the truth is powerful
and will prevail."
