of slavery. She quickly became a women’s rights
activist who boldly spoke out for the rights of
women. At this stage of her life, she dropped the
name Isabella Baumfree and adopted the name
Sojourner Truth. She began her journey as a slave
but ended as a legend. In her lifetime, she met
three presidents of the United States of America.
Interestingly, when she met Abraham Lincoln, she
mentioned that she had never heard of him until
he became president. President Lincoln smiled
and responded, “I had heard of you many times
before that.” He would later go on to sign her
book of life, “For Auntie Sojourner Truth.” She
died in 1883.
The Leadership Lessons from the Life of Sojourner Truth are;
Great women do not choose their beginnings,
but they certainly choose their end. They have
no control over the circumstances of their birth,
no control over the family they come from, their
race, etc. but they choose how they will end their
journey. Sojourner went from a slave to a legend,
and it is said that she was a hero for at least three
centuries. This was her choice!
Great women rise above their circumstances to
do great things. Small women make excuses and
bemoan their situation, but great women rise
above them.
Great women are pioneers. Sojourner Truth was
one of the first black women to take a white man
to court and win.
Great women are not afraid to do what others
haven’t done or to go where others haven’t gone.
Sojourner was certainly not afraid to take a white
man to court. And she certainly wasn’t afraid to
take her freedom from slavery.
Great women do not bother with what they don’t
have rather they focus on what they do have.
Sojourner Truth was uneducated, but she didn’t
let that deter her. She once said, I can’t read a
book, but I can read people.
Great women are a people of great faith. She
had faith in God; she had faith that her future
would be better than her past and present. Her
faith caused her to act each time it was necessary
thereby obtaining the victory.
Great women are a people of courage. It took a
great deal of courage for Sojourner to walk out of
slavery. It took courage for her to take a white man
to court and get her son back. It took courage to
speak out against slavery.
Great women fight to change what they can and
learn to live with what they can’t. Sojourner
couldn’t change who she was, that is, a black
woman. She learned to live with it, but she did fight
to change how society viewed and treated black
people and how they viewed and treated women.
Great women are determined women. Sojourner
was a very determined woman, and we see her
determination not only in her struggle to get
back her son but also in her fight to stop the
discrimination against black people and women.
Great women have no time for self-hate. It takes
a healthy self-esteem to become a person of
greatness. For no one who hates herself can fulfil
her purpose.
Great women act regardless of the consequences.
When Sojourner walked out of slavery, she did so
regardless of the consequences. Same thing when
she went to court to get back her son, and when
she became an activist.
Great women are decisive. Sojourner was not a
woman to waste time talking. At every point, she
knew what she wanted to do, and she did it.
In conclusion, I would like to say this; perhaps like
Sojourner Truth you were born into unfavourable
circumstances, you had no control over that, no
one does, but what are you doing today to ensure
that your end is better than your beginning?
DOZ Magazine January 2018
9
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