How This U.S. City Is Honoring Sojourner Truth's Activism Through Preservation
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Much of the work of historic preservation in America is just that—preserving the places and sites where significant cultural moments occurred to tell the full story of the role they played in American society. But what happens when these physical sites no longer exist?
When it comes to African American history, a key part of America’s foundation, many significant buildings and sites were either constructed with materials that could not stand the test of time or were systematically destroyed through policies like urban renewal. But destruction of these places doesn’t mean these key moments didn’t happen and don’t deserve to be remembered. Instead, preservationists are developing a new model for memorial placemaking to commemorate the past when the physical evidence is no longer there.
A blueprint for this new placemaking model is the Sojourner Truth Memorial Plaza in Akron, Ohio, set to open in late spring 2023. The 10,000-square-foot plaza lies on the site where Sojourner Truth—abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and orator—delivered what’s referred to as the ‘Ain’t I a Woman’ speech in front of a crowd at the Universalist Old Stone Church during the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention (a convention that she was not invited to) in 1851. Though the church no longer stands, Truth’s words continue to echo in contemporary women’s rights issues, and the speech is considered by historians to be one of the most important speeches related to women’s rights in U.S. history.
Plans to honor Sojourner Truth’s speech in Akron and her tireless advocacy for women’s rights have been in the works for years thanks to the Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee, a group of leaders who began fundraising to build a statue of Truth to mark the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920. Though the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the group's timeline, the pause allowed the project to grow from a statue to an entire plaza and educational program dedicated to Truth.
“We began by developing materials like blog posts and YouTube videos to bring awareness to the suffrage movement and what Sojourner Truth did here in our community in 1851,” says Towanda Mullins, chair of the Sojourner Truth Project. “The John S. Knight foundation became an early supporter, and they connected our project to the experts at the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Through their technical assistance and consultations, our relationship blossomed and now we’re going to be a national demonstration project on how to tell the story of the Black experience in America.”
Led by landscape architect Dion Harris of Summit Metro Parks, the plaza welcomes visitors with a bold entry wall of the word “TRUTH” and will feature interpretive stone pillars with facts about Truth’s life and built-in wall seating for peace and reflection. The centerpiece is a stage in the shape of the Impala Lily (the national flower of Ghana to honor Truth’s heritage), where a 10-foot statue of Sojourner Truth with her arm outstretched will beckon visitors. The statue will be created by Akron native and globally renowned artist, Woodrow Nash.
For the National Trust, the Sojourner Truth Memorial Plaza is the ideal placemaking model because so much of Truth’s life and work is still relevant today. “Sojourner Truth’s story is one of resilience, perseverance and activism, and we were able to use those through lines from the past to connect them to the present for people to take into their lives today,” says Lawana Holland-Moore, director of fellowships and interpretive strategies at the Action Fund. “It’s exciting to think that this plaza will be a model that can be replicated in other communities across the country.”
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