Could a Battle Creek post office soon bear the name of famed abolitionist Sojourner Truth?
U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow have introduced legislation to designate the post office at 90 S McCamly St. in Battle Creek as the “Sojourner Truth Post Office.”
“Sojourner Truth’s dedication to fighting injustices not only changed our world for the better, but is still benefiting our nation today,” Peters, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “As Black History Month comes to a close, designating this post office in Battle Creek after this American abolitionist and activist will allow Michiganders to honor and continue her inspiring legacy as a champion for equality.”
Truth was born Isabella Baumfree in New York, where she freed herself from slavery and became a prominent abolitionist and women's rights advocate.
Illiterate, Truth began dictating her memoirs to her friend Olive Gilbert following the publication of the wildly successful "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave." In 1850, William Lloyd Garrison privately published her book, "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth: a Northern Slave." A year later, Truth gave her famed "Ain't I a woman?" speech at the Ohio Women's Convention.
In 1857, Truth moved to Harmonia, a Spiritualist village near Battle Creek (what is now Fort Custer). In 1867, she relocated to 38 College St. in Battle Creek, which she called home until her death in 1883. She is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.
“Sojourner Truth escaped slavery and went on to help African Americans transition into a free life after the Civil War," Stabenow said in a statement. "She dedicated her life to women’s rights, racial equality and social justice. She chose what is now Battle Creek as her home in the later years of her life. Naming the Battle Creek Post Office after her is a fitting honor for the incredible life she lived."
Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Legislation introduced to name post office after Sojourner Truth
