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In early 1828, Sojourner Truth approached
the Grand Jury of Kingston, New York.

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She had no experience 
with the legal system,

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no money, and no power 
in the eyes of the court.

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Ignoring the jury’s scorn,

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Truth said she was there to fight for
custody of her five-year-old son Peter,

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who’d been illegally sold 
to an enslaver in Alabama.

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As the trial played out 
over the next several months,

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Truth raised funds, 
strategized with lawyers,

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and held her faith.

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Finally in the spring of 1828, 
Peter was returned to her care—

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but Truth’s work was far from over.

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She would dedicate 
the rest of her life to pursuing justice

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and spiritual understanding.

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Truth was born into slavery 
as Isabella Baumfree

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in the late 18th century
in Ulster County, New York.

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Although New York state had announced 
the abolition of slavery in 1799,

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the emancipation act was gradual.

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Those who were currently enslaved

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were forced to serve a period of 
indentured servitude until their mid-20s.

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Throughout this period, 
enslavers repeatedly sold Baumfree,

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tearing her from her loved ones.

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Often, she was explicitly prevented 
from pursuing new relationships.

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Eventually, she married an enslaved man 
named Thomas,

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with whom she had three children.

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She was desperate to keep 
her new family together—

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but the slow progress of abolition 
threatened this hope.

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Baumfree’s enslaver, John Dumont, 
had promised to free her by 1826.

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When he failed to keep his word, 
Baumfree fled for her safety.

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During the escape, she was only able 
to rescue her youngest daughter Sophia,

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while her other children 
remained in bondage.

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It would be two years before 
she regained custody of Peter.

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After that, she would wait 
another two years

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before she saw any of her other children.

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During this time, 
Baumfree found solace in her faith

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and became increasingly dedicated 
to religious reflection.

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After settling in Kingston, New York,

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she joined a Methodist community 
that shared her political views.

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She continued her practice of speaking 
aloud to God in private,

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and one night, her evening prayers
took on even more sacred significance.

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Baumfree claimed to hear the voice 
of God, telling her to leave Kingston,

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and share her holy message with others.

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Though she never learned to read or write,

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Baumfree became known 
as an electrifying orator,

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whose speeches drew on 
Biblical references,

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spiritual ideals, 
and her experience of slavery.

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Her sermons denounced the oppression 
of African Americans and women in general,

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and became prominent in campaigns 
for both abolition and women’s rights.

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In 1843, she renamed herself 
Sojourner Truth

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and embarked on a legendary 
speaking tour.

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Truth saw her journey 
as a mission from God.

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Her faith often led her 
to the nation’s most hostile regions,

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where she spoke to bigoted audiences 
as the only Black woman in the crowd.

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Truth was confident God would protect her,

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but some crowds responded 
to her bravery with violence.

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During one of her sermons,

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a mob of white men threatened to set 
fire to the tent where she was speaking.

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In her memoir, Truth recalled steeling 
herself to confront them:

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“Have I not faith enough to go out 
and quell that mob…

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I felt as if I had three hearts!

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And that they were so large, 
my body could hardly hold them!”

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She placated the men with song and prayer,
until they had no desire to harm her.

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Truth’s speeches impacted thousands of
people in communities across the nation,

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but her activism went far beyond
public speaking.

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During the Civil War, she became involved
with the Union Army,

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recruiting soldiers and organizing 
supplies for Black troops.

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Her work was so well regarded that 
she was invited to meet President Lincoln.

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She took the occasion to argue 
that all formerly enslaved people

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should be granted land by the government.

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Truth continued to travel 
and speak well into her 80s.

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Until her death in 1883, 
she remained an outspoken critic

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who fought for her right to be heard 
in a hostile world.

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As Truth once said, “I feel safe even
in the midst of my enemies;

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for the truth is powerful 
and will prevail."