Culture
Historic Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza unveiled in Akron, OH
The Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza commemorates Truth’s iconic speech ‘Aint I A Woman?’ at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851.
173 years to the day legendary activist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth delivered her famous speech ‘Ain’t I A Woman’, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund opened the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza in Akron, OH.
Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza
The legacy plaza project was in partnership with the Knight Foundation, United Way of Summit and Medina, the Sojourner Truth Project – Akron, and the Akron Community Foundation at the site of the Universalist Old Stone Church where Truth spoke.
Now owned by the United Way of Summit and Medina, the commemorative plaza features a statue of Truth by world-renowned Akron sculptor Woodrow Nash, marking his first public work. The plaza also features murals by local community artists.
Sojourner Truth statue
World-renowned Akron sculptor Woodrow Nash
Designed by landscape architect Dion Harris, the legacy plaza and park is the first project in placemaking by the Action Fund in partnership with the Knight Foundation and will serve as a model for memorializing Black history through community-driven collaboration.
“The City of Akron is proud to support this historic site and project which will forever pay homage to Sojourner Truth and her lasting impact,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik.
“Truth’s short visit to our city echoes through the decades and I can’t wait to watch the continued effect of this space and her legacy on our future generations.”
About The Sojourner Truth Project Akron
The Sojourner Truth Project in Akron aims to illuminate the life, struggles, and contributions of Sojourner Truth, a remarkable figure in American history. Truth’s travels led her to Akron, Ohio to deliver the most iconic speech during the suffrage movement, “Aint I a Woman?” on May 29, 1851. Although born into slavery, Truth’s journey to freedom and her relentless advocacy for women’s rights and abolitionism will inspire future generations as we transform our community with the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza.
More information on the legacy center
To learn more about the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza project, please visit savingplaces.org
----------------------------------------------------------
Connect with Unheard Voices on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube
Download the app on Google Play or ITunes.
----------------------------------------------------------
Unheard Voices Magazine is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.