On this day, June 1, in 1843

Isabella Baumfree changed her name to Sojourner Truth, simultaneously dedicating the rest of her life to traveling and educating people about the abolitionist cause. Sojourner Truth was born into slavery in New York but escaped when she was about 30, one year before slaves in New York were legally emancipated. Sojourner Truth quickly gained a reputation as a passionate activist. Although Truth is most commonly cited for her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman,” she delivered hundreds of speeches in her lifetime, passionately speaking about the atrocities of slavery, the importance of women’s rights, and the urgent need for prison reform.