The site where abolitionist Sojourner Truth delivered her iconic “Ain’t I a Woman? in 1851 now has a statue and plaza dedicated in her honor.
Hundreds gathered in Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday to unveil the plaza and statue where the Universalist Old Stone Church once stood, the location of the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention, The Associated Press reports.
Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Bomfree in the Hudson Valley around 1797, was a formerly enslaved person. After securing her freedom in 1826, she took the name Sojourner Truth and became an influential abolitionist and women’s rights pioneer. Her 1851 speech drew upon her experiences of slavery and questioned why her humanity and that of other enslaved African Americans were not recognized as equal to that of white Americans.
The new Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza, which replaces the old church site, features a statue by artist Woodrow Nash, an Akron, Ohio native. The statue depicts Truth holding a book, symbolizing her literacy and advocacy. It stands atop an impala lily, Ghana’s national flower, honoring Truth’s paternal heritage.
According To The Associated Press, Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, highlighted the significance of uplifting Black women civic leaders through the memorial.
“It was an opportunity to embed within the design of the memorial to uplift the overlooked contribution of Black women civic leaders that have sojourned in Truth’s footsteps,” said Brent Leggs, executive director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The plaza’s design by landscape architect Dion Harris includes natural materials like sandstone and stone, reflecting the historical and industrial context of Akron and the 1850s era when Truth lived. Large stone pillars around the plaza feature words like “faith” and “activism” along with quotes from Truth, including, “I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.”
This unveiling is part of a broader effort to honor Sojourner Truth’s legacy. Statues of her have been erected in New York’s Central Park and Angola, Indiana, at sites where she delivered significant speeches.
The Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza was funded by the Knight Foundation, United Way of Summit and Medina, the Sojourner Truth Project-Akron, and the Akron Community Foundation. Mullins emphasized that Truth’s story is an integral part of American history, reflecting the nation’s ongoing journey toward equality and justice for all.