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"As we honor Sojourner Truth, we recognize the hard-fought progress our nation has made in its unending fight for the ideal of equality which is both our nation’s heritage and our hope. In Sojourner Truth’s lifelong fight for equality, she fought to end slavery, to expand opportunity, and she saw the end of a civil war that had torn apart our country. As the first woman Speaker of the House, I am particularly grateful for Sojourner’s work for women’s suffrage. As she bravely said, ‘I am glad to see that men are getting their rights, but I want women to get theirs, and while the water is stirring, I will step into the pool.’ That is the history of our nation – brave Americans courageously stepping into stirring water.”
--Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 4/28/09
Today, Speaker Pelosi and Members of Congress were joined by First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to unveil a bust by sculptor Artis Lane of Sojourner Truth. The bust is the first sculpture to honor an African American woman in the US Capitol and was donated by the National Congress of Black Women.
Following the unveiling, representatives of The Links, Inc. joined the National Congress of Black Women at a luncheon hosted by Cicely Tyson and Yolanda Adams at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington.
First Lady Obama’s Speech:
Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m not going to talk long because everybody has said just about everything that can be said. But let me tell you something, I am proud to be here.
I want to congratulate everyone who was a part of making this day possible: the NCBW, all of the elected officials, C. DeLores Tucker, her family, the family of Sojourner Truth. It is just a sheer delight to have you here witnessing this.
But let’s just think about this day and this gathering. It is so good to see this hall filled with so many strong women—a few brothers in here, a few people -- (applause) --
but such a diverse group of people crowding this hall. And one can only imagine what Sojourner Truth, an outspoken, tell-it-like-it-is kind of woman—and we all know a little something about that, right -- (applause) -- just to imagine what she would have to say about this incredible gathering, just looking down on this day, and thinking about the legacy she has left all of us—because we are all here because, as my husband says time and time again, we stand on the shoulders of giants like Sojourner Truth. (Applause.)
And just as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott would be pleased to know that we have a woman serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the First Lady of the United States of America. (Applause.) So I am proud to be here. I am proud to be able to stand here on this day with this dedication.
And just as many young boys and girls have walked through this Capitol—I see them now, and they see the bust of suffragists and hear the stories of the struggles of women, what they had to endure to gain the right to vote—now many young boys and girls, like my own daughters, will come to Emancipation Hall and see the face of a woman who looks like them. (Applause.)
And all the visitors in the U.S. Capitol will hear the story of brave women who endured the greatest of humanity’s— indignities. They’ll hear the story of Sojourner Truth who didn’t allow those indignities to destroy her spirit, who fought for her own freedom, and then used her powers, young people—then she used her power to help others; who fought for the right to vote and for the rights of all women.
The power of this bust will not just be in the metal that delineates Sojourner Truth’s face; it will also be in the message that defines her legacy.
Forever more, in the halls of one of our country’s greatest monuments of liberty and equality, justice and freedom, Sojourner’s Truth story will be told again and again and again and again. So now let’s get on with unveiling this statue. Thank you so much.
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