Sojourner Truth

Illiterate former slave who became iconic abolitionist and women's rights activist

Born Isabella Baumfree (c.1797-1883), this African-American activist transformed American social justice movements through her unorthodox methods:

• Successfully sued white man for son's freedom (1828) - first Black woman to win such case
• Delivered legendary "Ain't I a Woman?" speech (1851)
• Recruited Black troops for Union Army
• Testified before Congress on land reform

Truth's innovative activism combined religious mysticism, street-corner preaching, and photographic self-promotion. Her narrative of spiritual conversion challenged both racial and gender stereotypes, influencing later leaders from Susan B. Anthony to Martin Luther King Jr.

Despite being functionally illiterate, she dictated memoirs that became crucial texts in abolitionist literature. Modern analysis reveals her strategic use of Dutch-accented English to emphasize outsider status while building cross-racial alliances.