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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 mean 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."