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Black History MonthSojourner Truth
by Darrielle
Sojourner Truth was born sometime in 1797. She died in 1885, so she lived to be 88 years old. She was named Isabella which was a slave name. A Dutch family owned her and her parents. This family was one of the oldest landowners in Ulster County, New York.
Isabella was freed from slavery in 1827 and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She picked this name because she traveled from place to place speaking out against slavery to anyone who would listen. She picked Truth for a last name because that is what she told.
Sojourner Truth was the mother of five children. One of her sons was sold into slavery illegally and she had to fight to get him back. She was one of the first black women to win a lawsuit against a black man.
Sojourner Truth was a preacher and an activist for the rights of both blacks and women. She was six feet tall and was very religious.