Sojourner Truth: Voice of Equality. equality united African American women in front of the immense obstacles of their lives. One

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1 Chuyue Zhou Sojourner Truth: Voice of Equality In the late 19 th century, coupled with the women s rights movement, the black call for equality united African American women in front of the immense obstacles of their lives. One courageous advocate for this movement was Sojourner Truth. Truth was an eloquent orator and activist who never feared to voice her objections to the talks of women s spheres and white s supremacy. As one of the most noteworthy leaders of the early struggles for the Blacks and women, Sojourner Truth was truly an unequaled symbol for both movements. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York. The hardships and suffering gave Truth motivation to run away from slavery before the Emancipation Act was published. Such humble beginnings did not diminish her grand ideals and dreams about the 19 th century American society. For much of her freed life, she went from church meeting to village streets, finding platforms to preach her interpretation of God s words. She spread the words of love and compassion which she believed to be both color blind and gender blind. Due to the limited access to a platform to voice her ideas, Sojourner Truth had only few opportunities to stand up in large crowds and push for change. Indeed when she seized such opportunity, Truth often captivated the public with short yet powerful rhetoric. Even though she was illiterate and never had any form of formal education, Sojourner Truth was known for her quick wit and powerful presence. She would never be intimidated, even in large conventions like the Ohio Women s Convention when her famous Ain t I Woman was delivered. Sojourner Truth shared her story of struggle and strength in the midst of despairing loss, blatant disrespect, backbreaking labor, and slavery.

2 By incorporating both pathos and logos, Sojourner Truth was able to present a successful and convincing use of rhetoric within her speeches. She always provided a sense of consistency and continuity to her audience and in so doing ensured a secure example of logos within her speech. Sojourner asserts that black women all have the ability to broaden this traditional sphere and can do work like ploughing, gathering and planting. This common theme from her preaching gave a sense of call to action, an action towards change. The struggle for equality was even more difficult for women of color because not only were they dealing with issues of sexism, but also racism. She might not have been educated, but she did not need a grand vocabulary to explain her simple struggles for equality. Having automatic insights into the context from their own experiences, Sojourner Truth was breaking the silence of oppression. During her speeches, she did not only give a weight to the emotion, but also emphasis on the logic applied in her addresses. Altogether combined, these individual elements, or acts, come together to construct the rhetoric of the colored women s rights, a cause which is of relevance to this very day.

3 Black History Month Essay Contest Black Women in History and Culture by Destiny Price Grade 7 Batchelor Middle School Mrs. Brenda Polley bpolley@mccsc.edu , ext

4 The Life of Maya Angelou Dr.Maya Angelou is one of the most renowned and influential voices of our time. She is a much respected woman. Her real name is Marguerite Ann Johnson. She was born on April 4 th, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, which makes her 84 years old. She has spent her time wisely. She is a poet, civil rights activist, dancer, film producer, playwright, film director, author, actress, and professor. Maya Angelou is still alive today. As a teenager, Maya loved the arts. She won a scholarship to study dance and drama at San Francisco s Labor School. At 14 years old, she dropped out, becoming the first African American cable car conductor. She later gave birth to her first son, Guy, then two weeks later graduated high school as a young, single mother, and had to work multiple jobs as a cook and waitress. Her passion for music, performance and poetry, however would soon take the main stage. She started to dance with Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. When she moved to New York in 1958, she teamed up with the Harlem Writers Guild. They acted in the historic off Broadway production of Jean Genet s The Blacks and wrote and performed Cabaret for Freedom. In 1960, Maya moved to Cairo, Egypt where she served as an editor of an English language weekly. The next year she moved to Ghana where she taught at the University of Ghana School Of Music and Drama. She also read and studied voraciously, mastering French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and the West African Fanti. While she was in Ghana, she met Malcolm X. With guidance from her friend after Martin Luther King s assassination, which fell on her birthday, she worked on her book I Know Why The Caged Sing. This bestselling book has now published over 2 million copies. In the year

5 1972, Maya composed her first screen play Georgia, Georgia. Her script, the first by an African- American ever to be filmed, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. She continues to appear on television and in films. In 1996, she directed her first feature film, Down in the Delta. In 2008, she composed poetry called The Black Candle. It was award-winning. Maya has served on two presidential committees, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Arts in 2000, the Lincoln Medal in 2008, and has received 3 Grammy Awards. Maya has received over 300 honorary degrees and is the Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University. Her words and actions are still in our minds and souls today. Her words still energize us. This woman will go down in history.

6 Maya Angelou, A life experience By Grace Saccone Marlin Elementary School Fifth Grade MayaAngelouisawell knownwriterofnovels,poetry,autobiographies,andnewspaper articles.sheisalsoanactress,screenwriter,singeranddancer.sheisknownasaninspirationalleader andasacivilrightsactivist.attheageof83,sheisstillworkingandgivingpublicspeechesabouther work. OnApril4,1928inStLouis,Missouri,MargueriteAnneJohnsonwasborn.Atagethreeher parentsgotdivorcedandsenthertolivewithhergrandmotherinstamps,arkansas.herolderbrother BaileygaveherthenicknameMyaSister,laterMy,andfinallyMaya,aswenowknowit.Mayamoved manytimesinheryounglifebetweenhermother sandhergrandmother shome.averyunfortunate butlifechangingeventhappenedtomayaattheageofsevenwhenmayawastakenadvantageof sexuallybyhermother sboyfriendwhodiedonlydayslater.mayabelievedherwords killedtheman. ForthenextfiveyearsMayalivedlonelyanddepressed,shedidnottellanybodybutherbrotherabout theevent,andwouldnotspeaktoanyoneforoverfiveyears,eveninschool. AsateenagerMayalivedwithhermotherinSanFranciscowhereshewasintroducedtothe arts.still,shedroppedoutofhighschoolforaperiodoftimeandbecamethefirstafricanamerican cablecarconductor.shethenreturnedtofinishschool,earningascholarshipfordanceanddramaat SanFrancisco slaborschool.upongraduationshegavebirthtoherson,guy,andneededtoworkasa waitressandcooktosupporthim.thenshemarriedtoshangeloshin1952andadoptedherlastname Angelou,butlaterwasdivorced. Inthemid1950 sshestartedwritingandjoinedtheharlemwriter sguildandmadealiving performinginoff BroadwayplayssuchasTheBlacks,andwritingscreenplays.In1960shemovedto CairototakeajobastheeditoroftheArabObserver,anEnglishweeklypublication.Herwritingcareer continuedwhenshemovedtoghanaandwritefortheghanatimes.in1970shebeganherfirstnovel, IKnowWhytheCagedBirdSings,inspiredapoemcalledSympathyandbasedonthefirstseventeen yearsofherlife,winningthenationalbookaward. The1970 sand1980 sangelouproducedsomeofthemostfamouspiecesofherlife.shewas anactressinalexhailey sfamousfilm,roots,andwroteandcomposedherfirstscreenplaygeorgia, Georgia,aPulitzerPrizewinner.In1993,PresidentClintonaskedMayatocomposeapoemtoreadat hisinaugurationceremony.thepoem,onthepulseofthemorningwassopowerfulitwasbroadcast aroundtheworld.mayaangelouhasservedintwopresidentialcommittees.shewasawardedthe presidentialmedalofartsin2000,receivedthreegrammys,andwonthelincolnmedalin2008. MayaiscurrentlyanAmericanstudiesprofessoratWakeForestUniversityinWinston Salem, NorthCarolina,andhaswonover30honorarydegrees.Sheisdescribedbymanyas America'smost

7 visibleblackfemaleautobiographer,"andisarolemodeltomanypeopleofallages.shewasableto useherlifeexperiencestohelpandencouragepeopletoacceptandlearnfromothers.

8 CityofBloomington BlackHistoryMonthEssayContest2012 "BlackWomeninHistoryandCulture" anessayfeaturingmayaangelou submittedby:katiepfeifer Grade:8 BatchelorMiddleSchool E mail:thetwistedstitcher@comcast.net Homephone: Cell:

9 MayaAngelou "Icanbechangedbywhathappenstome,butrefusetobereducedbyit." MayaAngelou MayaAngelouwasbornonApril4,1928inSt.Louis,Missouri.Maya'sformativeyears werespentundertheguidanceofhergrandmotherinstamps,arkansas.hergrandmother taughtheraboutafricanamericanculture,traditionandfaith.mayawasabright,fun loving child,howeversheenduredbrutaldiscriminationbytheinhabitantsofstamp.beforetheageof eight,shewassexuallymolestedatthehandsofhermother'sboyfriend.thisterriblesecretshe heldinherheartuntilshefinallyconfessedittoherbrother,bailey,towhomshewasespecially close.herabuserwaskilledbyherunclewhofoundoutaboutthemolestation.fromthe momentthatsheheardthenewsofhermolester'sdeath,shefellsilent.sheremainedmutefor 5longyears.WhenMayawasthirteen,sheandherbrotherjoinedtheirmotherinSan Francisco,California.Itwastherethatshebegantoonceagainspeakandtoonceagainlivethe lifeshewasdestined. InSanFranciscosheattendedMissionHighSchool,howeverforashortperiodoftime shedroppedouttobecomethefirstafricanamericanfemalecablecarconductor.later,she returnedtohighschool,butbecamepregnanthersenioryear.shegraduatedfromhighschool andsoonaftergavebirthtoababyboyshenamedguy.attheveryyoungageofsixteen,she wassupportingherselfandhersonbyworkingasawaitressandcook.howevershestill followedherdreamsofmusic,dance,writing,andperformingthatsheheldsodear. In1952,MayamarriedaGreeksailor.Althoughthemarriagedidnotlastlong,her formerhusband snameallowedhertobecome,mayaangelou.in1954and1955,mayatoured EuropewiththeoperaPorgyandBess.In1957,shehadaverybusyyearrecording,studying, anddancing.shestudiedmoderndance,dancedwithalvinailey,andrecordedcalypsolady, herfirstrecordalbum.shemovedtonewyorkcitywhereshejoinedtheharlemwritersguild andbecameinvolvedinthecivilrightsmovement.sheperformedinanoff Broadway ProductionofTheBlacksandalsowroteandperformedCabaretforFreedom. In1960,MayamovedtoCairo,Egypt.InCairo,MayabecametheeditorofTheArab Observer.ShelatermovedtoGhana.InGhanashewasacontributortotwonewspapers,The AfricanReviewandTheGhanaianTimes.ShealsoservedasanadministratorattheUniversity ofghana sschoolofmusicanddrama.in1964,mayareturnedtotheunitedstates.she becameaveryclosefriendtomartinlutherkingjr.,whomwasultimatelyassassinatedonher birthday.thedevastationoflosingherdearfriendhadheronceagaindrawingonherinner strength.shewrotethebook,iknowwhythecagedbirdsings,duringthetimefollowing King'sdeath

10 Mayahasbeenextremelysuccessfulandhighlycelebratedinherlife.Sheisan essayist,activist,entertainer,professor,poet,filmproducerandmother.mayahasdoneitall andtoborrowfromasongbywhitneyhouston,sheis"everywoman".inmymind,thereis notamorepolarizing,positivefigureforallagegroups,ofnotonlyafricanamericans,butall nationalitiesofmenandwomenacrossournationandworld. IchosethequoteprecedingthisessaybecauseIthoughtitencompassedthemany convolutionsofmaya'slife.sheclimbedmountainsandovercamemuchadversitytorisetothe summitandshine.thewisdomshesharesthroughherworkreachesrightintoyourverysoul andherwordsareplantedfirmlyinyourheart,wheretheytakerootandgrow.tome,maya Angelou,isaniconiclegendthatembodiesnotonlyBlackHistoryMonth,butalsohelpsmeasa youngwomantoembracemyfutureseekingthepositiveratherthanfocusingonthenegative. Sheencouragesmeinthisendeavorwiththesewords,"Youmayencountermanydefeats,but youmustnotbedefeated.infact,itmaybenecessarytoencounterthedefeats,soyoucan knowwhoyouare,whatyoucanrisefromandhowyoucanstillcomeoutofit."

11 Jackie Joyner Kersee is known as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Along with many other impressive accomplishments she won a total of six Olympic medal, 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze, and she was the first woman to score 7,000 points in the heptathlon. Along with holding the world record for the heptathlon, she also holds world and national records for the long jump. Jackie Joyner Kersee is an amazing philanthropist and humanitarian as well. She has founded a foundation known as the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation. Jackie Joyner is not only known as the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20 th Century (Sports- Illustrated) and an amazing philanthropist, but she is also known for being a hero and role-model to many young women. Jackie was born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois. She was born to parents Mary and Alfred Joyner who were wed and had children in their teens. Jackie had a very humble upbringing; she lived in a neighborhood with very strong family ties but was shadowed by violence. Growing up she lived with her two parents, her grandmother and three siblings. In the winter the furnace would break down and the house would have to be heated by the oven or the pipes would break and they would have to use jugs of saved water to bathe or clean the dishes. All of her hard times have made her to be the person she is today, and made her a role model. Jackie became an athlete early. When Jackie was ten she joined a track and field program and began training and competing in meets. At the age of 14 she won her first of four straight national junior pentathlons. Her track and field career continued to grow stronger throughout her high school career, not only did she run track but she also was a basketball player which led her to go to college at UCLA.

12 At UCLA her track and field coach, Bob Kersee, (who she later married) encouraged her to do more events, this led her to give up basketball and train for the Olympics. She and her brother, Al, represented the United States in the 1983 World Championships but both had to pull out due to injury. They later both got to compete in the 1984 Olympics. There they became the first brother and sister to win gold at the Olympics in the same year. She then competed in the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Olympics. After her work running and jumping in the Olympics was over she played a little basketball for the Richmond, Virginia Rage in the American Basketball League. Jackie Joyner Kersee is truly an amazing, multi-talented person. She has records for heptathlon and long jump and got a scholarship for basketball at UCLA. She is not only an amazing athlete but a smart, loving person. She is a hard-working philanthropist and humanitarian who really cares about the community. She is truly a hero, not only to me, but many other people and I would love to meet her some day.

13 Myles Adams 11 th grade Bloomington High School North Sojourner Truth Born Isabella Baumfree, self-proclaimed Sojourner Truth was a very motivational and spirited abolitionist and women s rights activist during the 19 th Century. Born a slave in New York, Truth escaped and headed toward freedom. Afterwards, Truth was known throughout the nation for her speeches on racial inequalities and her participation in women s rights conventions. As a result, Truth was renowned for her work as a preacher and public speaker. She became a national icon of evangelical and abolitionist movements. Sojourner Truth was a major aspect in contributing to society and bringing greater rights to African Americans and women. As a child, Truth was the daughter of slaves and spent her childhood being abused by several masters. As an adult she had five children with a slave named Thomas. Truth found freedom by taking refuge with Isaac Van Wagene when New York abolished slavery in She was able to recover one of her sons who had been sold illegally into slavery in the South by winning a court battle. She became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. She moved to New York City where she joined two of her other children. Truth was a spiritual person. Since childhood she had visions and heard voices. She connected these visions and voices with God. In New York she became associated

14 with a missionary named Elijah Pierson. While with him, Truth worked in the street preaching and soon joined Pierson s Retrenchment Society. In 1843 she left New York City and took the name Sojourner Truth, which she used from then on. From here, Truth followed a supernatural call to travel up and down the land, and sang, preached, and debated at camp meetings, churches, villages, and other places. She exhorted her listeners to accept the biblical message of God's goodness and the brotherhood of man and that no one should be discriminated against because of skin color. Soon afterwards, Truth was introduced to abolitionism at a utopian community in Massachusetts. She started speaking for the movement and her reputation began to spread. Truth encountered the women s rights movement in the 1850 s due to the influence of other women leaders of the time. She continued to appear before suffrage gatherings for the rest of her life. She gave magnificent speeches and her most famous speech, Ain t I A Woman, brought the situation of women s rights into the public. Truth contributed to the American Civil War. She helped gather supplies for black volunteer regiments and in 1864 went to Washington, D.C., where she helped integrate streetcars. The same year, she accepted an appointment with the National Freedmen's Relief Association counseling former slaves. Sojourner Truth was truly a revolutionary. Her contributions toward racial equality and women s rights broke through barriers and helped many people during such hard and trying times. She was not willing to be tied down by the chains of injustice and shined like a beacon of light for all those needing some kind of hope.

15 2012 Black History Month Essay Contest Black Women in History and Culture: Marian Anderson By Roseanna Lemrow Marian Anderson opened the world for singers of color all over to access and perform opera. Today we can enjoy the songs and performances of singers like Jessye Norman, another famous African American opera singer, because of Marian Anderson s brave work. She helped singers of color to get a chance to share their talent. Her journey highlights what African Americans can do in spite of a history that treated them so badly. They are not just to be shunned from society, but are people who can do and contribute the same as all people. For example, in 1939 after the Daughters of the American Revolution denied Marian Anderson the right to sing and perform at Constitution Hall, in Washington D.C., President Franklin D. Roosevelt invited her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939 in Washington D.C. to a crowd of 75,000. I looked up this event on the Internet and found a video clip on YouTube with the title, Marian Anderson sings at the Lincoln Memorial: Newsreel Story. By watching this video, I got to hear the actual sound of her voice. Just by reading about her, I didn t get this chance. I also got to see what she looked like and what it looked like to sing to a crowd of 75,000 people. There were mostly white faces in the crowd and I thought that they wouldn t of gathered there if they didn t want to hear her sing. I thought that it meant a lot that the Lincoln Memorial was in the background. The last words of the song she was singing, My Country Tis of Thee, are let freedom ring. It meant a lot because I know that Lincoln was the President that freed the slaves. I think that her singing is a great example of what happens when you let people be free. I also noticed the letters NBC on the video clip so I believe that this performance was also on the radio or television. One thing that caught my attention was what the announcer said right before Marian Anderson began singing. He said, Genius knows no color line. This is true because we are all people. I have been to the Indiana State Honor s Choir, the Indiana University Children s Choir and the Saint Charles School Choir. Altogether I ve been singing for five years now. I consider myself an Alto voice too. But until now, I have never heard of Marian Anderson. It s a loss to not know about her because she did so many great things like sing in Washington D.C. and it might inspire other kids, like me, to believe that they can sing too. It could have helped me a bit to get through singing to know that she was able to sing in public and it might have been harder for her as a woman of color but she was still able to get through the criticism and rejection. She could have inspired me.

16 Now that I know about Marian Anderson I feel more informed about what African Americans had to go through to be in the Arts. As a singer I am glad that I got this opportunity to learn about her life and hear her sing. I hope that other young singers learn about her experiences so they will know about what it means to be a truly great singer and not to give up even when you are faced with struggles from others. She is a great African American singer, but also a great American singer. Sources: "MarianAnderson."Wikipedia,theFreeEncyclopedia.Web.26Dec ""MarianAndersonSingsattheLincolnMemorial"NewreelStory YouTube."YouTube Broadcast Yourself.Web.26Dec.2011.< Author Information: Roseanna Lemrow Grade: 6 The Bloomington Project School

17 Sam Foust January 27, 2012 Shaffer 1 Dorothy Height Dorothy Irene Height was an important African American woman. She was born on March 24, 1912 and died on April 20, 2010 at the age of 98. She was a social activist and a prominent organizer and leader representing African American women in the United States. Dorothy was born on March 24, 1912 in Richmond Virginia. Her family moved to Pennsylvania which she was little and that s where she grew up and went to school. Her dad was a builder and her mom was a nurse. When she was nine her best friend, who was white, told her that she couldn t play with Dorothy because Dorothy was African American. I think this would have hurt her feelings. In high school Dorothy made a speech about slavery amendments to the U.S. Constitution. That helped her win a college scholarship to any college that she wanted to go to.

18 She wanted to go to Barnard College and was accepted there, but they already had too many blacks and wouldn t let her in at that school. Then she went to New York University. She earned a bachelor s degree in social sciences and a master s degree in educational psychology. She graduated in As a young woman, Dorothy joined church-sponsored and civic groups. She volunteered while she was in college and after she graduated. She thought that it was important for people to volunteer. She said people should realize that they can do more by working together than they can on their own. After graduating Dorothy became a welfare caseworker in the New York Welfare Department. She was one of the leaders in the National Youth Movement and she also volunteered in Christian activist groups. In 1937, Dorothy became an assistant director of the Harlem YWCA. She worked with the national YWCA from 1944 until She founded their Center for Racial Justice in 1965 and directed it for 12 years. She also was a representative at international YWCA meetings.

19 She was the national president of Delta Sigma Theta sorority from 1946 to She was so busy doing all of these things that she never married. Dorothy joined the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and led it for 41 years to help black women and their families. When she was working with the NCNW, she also worked for civil rights. She protested against lynchings and was part of almost all of the major civil rights events at the time. She worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders. Dorothy was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993 and she received many honorary degrees, including degrees from Harvard and Princeton Universities. She received the Congressional Gold Medal in In 1998, she told People, "I want to be remembered as someone who used herself and anything she could touch to work for justice and freedom. I want to be remembered as one who tried." Because of all of her work and volunteering I think she will be remembered as an important person.

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21 Sojourner Truth You might have heard of Sojourner Truth, but don t know exactly who s he is. Maybe her name was mentioned by an adult, or an article. Maybe the name only looks familiar to you. One of the most important things to know is that she didn t stop. She never quit to take a break until she felt her work was completed. Being an African- American in the 1800 s was tough, but that didn t slow her down. She is a role model, and something to strive for. Sojourner Truth was born as a slave, just like her parents. Originally, she was names Isabella Baumfree. She was sold at age nine, and had several masters after that, most of which abused her. Her original language was Dutch. With each new master, she was abused for not speaking English. Eventually she learned, but had trouble. She was beaten if there was any trouble communicating. It was a tough life for her. Between 1810 and 1827, she had five children with a man named Thomas. One night, Thomas master followed him when he snuck out to meet Isabella. Thomas was beaten brutally, and never seen again. At one point, she escaped with her infant daughter. Her quote was I did not run away, for I thought that to be cruel, but I walked away, thinking that to be alright. She eventually went back, though. In 1827 she was set free legally with the help of Isaac Van Wagener. Shortly after this happened, New York abolished slavery. Once free, Isabella recovered her young son, who had been sold illegally in the South. She achieved this with the help of Quakers. In 1829, she took her two youngest children and headed to New York City. There, she made her living working through domestic employment. During that time, she became associated with Elijah Pierson. Together, they worked on preaching. This went on for a long time, but in 1843 she left New York. This was a fresh start for Isabella, so she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. When she left, she didn t stay in one spot. She traveled throughout the Midwest, preaching in camps and other such places. At that time, she devoted her life to educating people about the Lord. She soon became an African-American abolitionist, and a women s rights activist. In 1851, she spoke the speech, Ain t I A woman? It took place at the Ohio Women s Rights Convention. After that, Sojourner Truth supported herself with a book that she wrote entitled The Narrative of Sojourner Truth. The book informed the reader about the harsh conditions of slavery. She joined the Women s Rights Movement shortly before she spoke her famous speech. Aside from that, she was a great help during the American Civil War, and gathered supplies for the African-American volunteers. Later, she traveled to Washington, DC and continued to be of great assistance. Because of all her hard work, she was received at the White House by President Lincoln. In the end, she retired to her home in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was there that she lived the rest of her life. Even when she retired, her hard work was never forgotten.