1851 - Sojourner Truth Delivers

On May 29, 1851, abolitionist and women\’s rights activist Sojourner Truth delivered her iconic speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Born into slavery, Truth became one of the most powerful voices for emancipation and gender equality in 19th-century America. In her speech, she boldly challenged prevailing notions of racial and gender inferiority. Though the exact wording has been debated due to transcription differences, her core message was clear—Black women were doubly marginalized and deserved equal rights. Her oration addressed the intersectionality of race and gender long before the term existed. Truth’s courageous words resonated across time, inspiring generations of Black feminists and civil rights activists. This speech remains a cornerstone in both feminist and Black liberation history, taught in classrooms and quoted in movements around the world. Sojourner Truth’s voice, raised on May 29, changed the course of American discourse forever.