On the recordFebruary 13, 2019
Today I rise to honor Sojourner Truth. Born a slave in Ulster County in 1797, she ran away to freedom with her infant daughter in 1827. She then challenged the illegal sale of her son to a slave owner and was the first Black woman to win such a case against a White man. She spent the rest of her life as a national leader in the abolitionist movement, challenging the norms of her time by advocating for gender and racial equality and for the right to vote. Her bust is displayed here in the Capitol in Emancipation Hall, the first sculpture here to honor an African American woman. It is an unbelievable honor as well as incredibly humbling to stand here during this Black History Month, as the first African American Congressman from Upstate New York, to recognize the life of a true American hero. I hope and pray that we as a nation continue to honor her legacy and so many others who have committed their lives to ensuring America live up to the promise of true equality for all. ____________________
