Sojourner Truth was a former slave who became a preacher,
abolitionist, and supporter of women's rights. She made her famous speech “Ain't
I a Woman?” (retold here by Frances D. Gage) at a convention on women's rights
in 1851 in Akron, Ohio. According to Gage, Truth made this speech in response to
Protestant ministers’ claims that men deserved greater privileges than women
because of their “superior intellect” and because God had chosen Jesus Christ to
take the form of a man. Truth may not have spoken in the heavy dialect presented
by Gage; other accounts of the speech are closer to standard English. Although
recent scholarship has questioned the accuracy of Gage's account, which she
wrote 30 years after the convention, it remains a classic of American
literature.
“Ain't I a Woman?”
Attributed to Sojourner Truth
“Wall, chilern, whar dar is so much racket dar must be
somethin’ out o’ kilter. I tink dat ‘twixt de niggers of de Souf and de womin at
de Nork, all talkin’‘bout rights, de white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But
what's all dis here talkin’‘bout?
“Dat man ober dar say dat womin needs to be helped into
carriages, and lifted ober ditches, and to hab de best place everywhar. Nobody
eber helps me into carriages, or ober mud-puddles, or gibs me any best place!”
And raising herself to her full height, and her voice to a pitch like rolling
thunders, she asked 'And a'n't I a woman? Look at me! Look at me! Look at my
arm! (and she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous
muscular power). I have ploughed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no
man could head me! And a'n't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as
a man—when I could get it—and bear de lash a well! And a'n't I a woman? I have
borne thirteen chilern, and seen'em mos’ all sold off to slavery, and when I
cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And a'n't I a
woman?
“Den dey talks ‘bout dis ting in de head; what dis dey
call it?” (“Intellect,” whispered some one near.) “Dat's it, honey. What's dat
got to do wid womin's rights or nigger's rights? If my cup won't hold but a
pint, and yourn holds a quart, wouldn't ye be mean not to let me have my little
half-measure full?” And she pointed her significant finger, and sent a keen
glance at the minister who had made the argument. The cheering was long and
loud.
“Den dat little man in black dar, he say women can't
have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wan't a woman! Whar did your Christ
come from?” Rolling thunder couldn't have stilled that crowd, as did those deep,
wonderful tones, as she stood there with outstretched arms and eyes of fire.
Raising her voice still louder, she repeated, “Whar did your Christ come from?
From God and a woman! Man had nothin’ to do wid Him.” Oh, what a rebuke that was
to that little man.
Turning again to another objector, she took up the
defense of Mother Eve. I can not follow her through it all. It was pointed, and
witty, and solemn; eliciting at almost every sentence deafening applause; and
she ended by asserting: “If de fust woman God ever made was strong enough to
turn de world upside down all alone, dese women togedder (and she glanced her
eye over the platform) ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side
up again! And now dey is asking to do it, de men better let'em.” Long-continued
cheering greeted this. “Bleeged to ye for hearin’ on me, and now old Sojourner
han't got nothin’ more to say.”
Amid roars of applause, she returned to her corner,
leaving more than one of us with streaming eyes, and hearts beating with
gratitude. She had taken us up in her strong arms and carried us safely over the
slough of difficulty turning the whole tide in our favor. I have never in my
life seen anything like the magical influence that subdued the mobbish spirit of
the day, and turned the sneers and jeers of an excited crowd into notes of
respect and admiration. Hundreds rushed up to shake hands with her, and
congratulate the glorious old mother, and bid her God-speed on her mission of
“testifyin’ agin concerning the wickedness of this ‘ere people.”
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