Stopping at the Sojourner Truth Monument

This week has been an interesting week in race relations to say the least.  First a video surfaces of a white woman trying to call the police on a black man.  He was an avid birder and was telling her that she needed to have her dog on a leash.  Of course, as she made the call, she had to turn her threatening voice on.  Fortunately, the police did not come because it could have turned ugly.  People found out who she was and got her fired.  I'm not sure I agree with that part but I guess actions like that should have consequences, although I think they should have legal consequences.

The next day, a video emerges of a man named George Floyd getting choked by a Minneapolis police man.  The policeman had George on the ground and was kneeling over his throat and was choking him.  He had him down for close to nine minutes.  Riots ensued and then the policemen involved in this were arrested and are now charged.

Events like this make you think about events from the past.

 The Sojourner Truth Monument is in Battle Creek.   She was born into slavery but escaped with her daughter in 1826.  She sued and won the freedom of her son in 1828.  She of course became a voice in the abolitionist movement.

During the Civil War, she helped recruit black troops to the Union Army.  Her grandson fought in the famed 54th Massachusetts Regiment.  She was employed by the National Freedmen's Association.

 In 1870, she tried to secure land grands for the now freed slaves.

 She was also an early advocate for the women's right to vote.

 Apparently there was a demonstration in Battle Creek yesterday.  People left candles at the foot of the statue.

She is also buried in Battle Creek but I didn't want to go seek out her grave again.

The Search for Truth

Well Sojourner Truth anyway.  With all the recent hub bub lately, my mom wanted to go see the gravesite of Sojourner Truth.  As we were heading to the graveyard, we saw a memorial to her.

 Sojourner Truth was born sometime in 1797 as Isabella Baumfree.  Her parents were John and Isabella Baumfree and they were slaves owned by a Colonel Hardenbergh in Swartekill, New York which is about 95 miles north of New York City.  In 1815, Sojourner fell in love with a slave that was owned by another man.  That owner forbade their love because any babies that might emerge from that relationship would not be owned by him.    Sojourner eventually married another man and had five children with him.

 In 1799, the State of New York started to free the slaves there, however that process would not be complete until 1827.  Her owner promised her freedom before that but reneged on the deal.  In 1826, she decided to escape with her daughter (the other children would prove difficult to escape with).  She made it to the house of another person, who ended up buying her services until the end of the year.  She found out that one of her sons was sold to a man in Alabama (but illegally).  She took the issue to court and won.  She would become the first black woman to win a case like that against a white man.

 In 1843, she would become a Methodist and would campaign for abolition.  In 1857, she moved to Battle Creek, MI where she would meet up with other abolitionists.  During the Civil War, she would help recruit black men for the Union.  She would later speak about women's rights, prison rights and she preached against the Michigan legislature against capital punishment.  She would also try to get land grants for former slaves.

She died on November 26, 1883 at her home in Battle Creek.  She would be buried Oak Hill Cemetery there.