AKRON, Ohio — Nearly 170 years ago to the day Sojourner Truth delivered her iconic "Ain't I a Woman?" speech — though there is some dispute about whether she actually spoke those exact words. Now, a committee of women leaders in Summit County is raising funds to construct a statue to commemorate the work of Sojourner Truth and her tireless advocacy for women's rights.
The Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee has been raising funds and working with local artist Woodrow Nash to create a statue that would be constructed in Akron to "serve as an ongoing opportunity to educate the public on the progress made over the last 100 years and honor the fight for voting rights for all women — especially many women of color who were excluded from voting until the 1960s."
With Akron being the place Truth delivered her iconic speech, the statue will have a fitting home in the rubber capital.
“Summit County has a rich history of strong women leaders and we are excited to honor that history,” says Lisa King, Executive Director of Summit Metro Parks and fundraising committee co-chair. “The Sojourner Truth statue will stand as a reminder of the work that is still necessary to ensure all women are included in the fight for equity.”
The committee is also partnering with Akron Public Schools, Akron-Summit County Public Library and the Summit County Historical Society, among others, to help develop a curriculum to educate individuals about Truth's journey from slavery to her role in women's rights.
To learn more about the program or to help with fundraising for the statue, click here.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
