Sojourner Truth, You Are Most Definitely a Woman.

I was really inspired by Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech. The introduction and description of her speech made all the more powerful as I was able to consider how crazy it must have been to be a woman (especially a Black woman) during the 1800s. I truthfully hadn't previously considered how far back women have been fighting for equal rights. In my head (and I'm sure in many others'), feminism is more of a 20th century thing: the right to vote, equal rights in the working world, etc. It's so empowering to imagine the strength and motivation of some of the women's rights activists in the 1800s, but it's also important to remember that a lot of women's rights activists were also extremely racist. It was obviously a tough time for women and slaves, and those who came together to fight the oppression were extremely heroic. 

I loved reading the speech in phonetics...I could more easily imagine Sojourner Truth speaking, which only enhanced the empowering effects of her speech. Also, in the introduction, a very vivid picture is painted by Frances Gage's description of the event, the people involved, and Sojourner's intimidating nature.

It's so powerful that Sojourner turned the tables on the men and their justifications for oppressing women and slaves during that time. More important is that she confronts the women who were fighting for women's rights, but still oppressing women slaves...they're women, too! "I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And a'n't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man--when I could get it--and bear de lash as well! And a'n't I a woman?" Sojourner Truth is stronger, more powerful, and more experienced than a lot of men ever could be...she is most definitely a woman. 

Sojourner calls out a priest in the audience for justifying women's oppression because God says so. She repeatedly asks him where his God came from, and finally and matter-of-factly bellows, "from God and a woman! Man had nothin’ to do wid Him." If I were there, I feel like I'd have to scream "So in-your-face!" after I ran up and gave Truth a hug or high-five.


I find it really interesting that Sojourner's physical appearance is anything but womanly, but to me she seems more of a woman than the womanliest of women. She shows her physical strength and talks about all of the hard labor she does and the things she's had to go through (having 13 kids sold to slavery), but demands nevertheless that she is a woman. It's an 1800s "screw you!" to gender constructs. 

Go girl!