Dr. Michelle Chresfield

And even though the narrative is about Sojourner Truth, right, she is a person who can't read and write. So she's narrating her life story to Olive Gilbert. And Gilbert's voice is actually very present. And at one point, you know, kind of implores the reader, you need to buy this book. This woman has spent her money poorly. Her daughters are not taking care of her.

And even though the narrative is about Sojourner Truth, right, she is a person who can't read and write. So she's narrating her life story to Olive Gilbert. And Gilbert's voice is actually very present. And at one point, you know, kind of implores the reader, you need to buy this book. This woman has spent her money poorly. Her daughters are not taking care of her.

Like the only way that you're going to support this woman is if you buy this book.

Like the only way that you're going to support this woman is if you buy this book.

Like, seriously, you guys, buy this book. She's able, from the money sold on the book, to buy her own home, actually.

Like, seriously, you guys, buy this book. She's able, from the money sold on the book, to buy her own home, actually.

So she has a lot of audiences, but actually the media is very uneven about its coverage of her. So oftentimes she's not mentioned by name in the papers. And so if we're looking at it from the historical record, it's very hard to tell. Yet we also have narratives of people speaking about what a great orator she is. She sings to them. She has this powerful speaking quality.

So she has a lot of audiences, but actually the media is very uneven about its coverage of her. So oftentimes she's not mentioned by name in the papers. And so if we're looking at it from the historical record, it's very hard to tell. Yet we also have narratives of people speaking about what a great orator she is. She sings to them. She has this powerful speaking quality.

And she's also really funny. and apparently very sarcastic. And so, and she's able to really infuse this wit and this humor into her speaking engagements where she's talking about these issues, right, like very serious things.

And she's also really funny. and apparently very sarcastic. And so, and she's able to really infuse this wit and this humor into her speaking engagements where she's talking about these issues, right, like very serious things.

So Truth gave this speech, or is purported to have given this speech, at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention that was held in Akron in May 1851. And in this speech, we do know that Truth spoke about how she could do as much physical labor as a man. She says she's plowed and planted and gathered into barns and no man could heed me. And aren't I a woman?

So Truth gave this speech, or is purported to have given this speech, at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention that was held in Akron in May 1851. And in this speech, we do know that Truth spoke about how she could do as much physical labor as a man. She says she's plowed and planted and gathered into barns and no man could heed me. And aren't I a woman?

So that's the part of the text that's often attributed to her. The article was written by an organizer of this convention called Frances Dana Gage. And so Gage here is making a specific point about the intersection of a kind of women's ideology or political orientation and that of a kind of black pride or kind of black ideology. Right.

So that's the part of the text that's often attributed to her. The article was written by an organizer of this convention called Frances Dana Gage. And so Gage here is making a specific point about the intersection of a kind of women's ideology or political orientation and that of a kind of black pride or kind of black ideology. Right.

She's trying to bring these things together that you can be both black and and woman. She does so in adopting a dialect that was not truth. Much of the kind of practice of the time for particularly writers who are trying to elevate the abolitionist cause is that they're translating the kind of oratory of enslaved or formerly enslaved people into broken dialect.

She's trying to bring these things together that you can be both black and and woman. She does so in adopting a dialect that was not truth. Much of the kind of practice of the time for particularly writers who are trying to elevate the abolitionist cause is that they're translating the kind of oratory of enslaved or formerly enslaved people into broken dialect.

And it's, you know, offensive, right? Particularly to our kind of modern ear. It's also inaccurate. That's not how truth spoke.

And it's, you know, offensive, right? Particularly to our kind of modern ear. It's also inaccurate. That's not how truth spoke.

Yeah, so she becomes a huge figure in terms of trying to galvanize support amongst Black Americans, particularly to the union cause. She's collecting food for troops. She's using her photographs to bring awareness to the war cause and really trying to popularize the notion that this is an important endeavor for Black Americans to be engaged in.

Yeah, so she becomes a huge figure in terms of trying to galvanize support amongst Black Americans, particularly to the union cause. She's collecting food for troops. She's using her photographs to bring awareness to the war cause and really trying to popularize the notion that this is an important endeavor for Black Americans to be engaged in.