Standard: 8.9 Students analyze the early and steady attempts to abolish slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.
Objective: Students will be able to describe the contributions made by Sojourner Truth. They will be able to assess the extent of Truth's influence in the realm of Women's rights and Negro rights.
Truth lived a captivating life. Her life legacy is one of Women's Rights, Negro Rights, and Negro Women's Rights.
Sojourner Truth never learned to read or write. Her strongest characteristic was her voice, but the power of her preacher voice was difficult to record. In this Atlantic Magazine article, fellow Negro Rights activist Harriet Beecher Stowe aims to capture Sojourner's life in her own words and voice.
Here, Kerry Washington is performing her rendition of Truth's famous speech known as Ain't I a Woman. She utilized her time as a slave as a way to challenge men's view on the delicacy of women. She argued that as a slave, she performed the work of a man. While she was a slave, she was still a woman. She powerfully shows that the institution of slavery debunks any and all myths of female incompetence.
What is in a name? Based on her biography and interview, why do you think Sojourner Truth Changed her name? Consider: How does her name play a role in her identity? How did she exhibit agency through her time as a slave?
