Why Is Sojourner Truth Important

Why is there racial tension and political dissension in America? Why did Russia feel its Crimean invasion was justifiable? How did China become an economic power? These questions are answered by a proper understanding of history, helping us to better comprehend the world of 2015. Education’s role needs to be thus: to prepare students as learned individuals and to exist in such an international community. This is why I think history is still incredibly relevant despite focusing on the

There is history in every corner of the world. Although we are unable to cover every aspect of it in class, what better way to dive into the heart of history by analyzing an eye opening film like,The Boy in Striped Pajamas.

“For when textbook authors leave out the warts, the problems, the unfortunate character traits, and the mistaken ideas, they reduce heroes from dramatic men and women to melodramatic stick figures. Their inner struggles disappear and they become goody- goody, not just merely good.” (Loewen, pg. 29). “Lies My Teacher Told Me” is a non- fiction book written by author, American sociologist, and historian, James W. Loewen. The popular belief is that schools buy the textbook that best fits the curriculum, and by following these textbooks, students are learning to the best of their ability. However, Loewen challenges this belief by providing evidence from eighteen different American history textbooks. He believes that people in history should not be depicted as heroes when they simply are not. To continue, Loewen states that students find history to be so boring since they can not relate to it or the people in it. On page 354, he even concludes his book by stating, “Students will start finding history interesting when their teachers and textbook stop lying to them.”

The study of history and the teaching of history has come under intense public debate in the United States in the last few decades. The “culture-wars” began with the call to add more works by non-Caucasians and women and has bled into the study of history. Not only in the study of history or literature, this debate has spread into American culture like wildfire.

At the 1851 Women's Right Convention in Akron, Ohio Sojourner Truth, delivers a wonderful speech about women’s rights. Her speech is arguing the claim made by ministers that states, “: women were weak, men were intellectually superior to women, Jesus was a man, and our first mother sinned.” Sojourner Truth’s speech is to draw attention to the topic of women’s right. Implying that in this world women need to be helped when it comes to them being outside. For her, it is not even like the stereotype in which they have to be helped, because of her skin color. In her speech, Sojourner supports her claim about how women are treated differently except [especially for her because of her skin color] her by saying, Ain't I a woman.” This implies that she should be treated the same if other women are treated some sort. Which also circulates to the other idea in her speech, how women can do the exact same amount as men. If men can walk over mud the woman can do, they do not need help. If white women were helped then she should be helped as well. Connecting to her phrase “Ain't I a woman.” This idea attributes to both sides of her speech, which were equal rights, and how she should be treated the same as another woman. Allowing her voice to seem more intellectual, Sojourner adds all of the attributes of a woman (having kids, her arms). Which adds more support to her claim of why she is not treated the same as white women or even as a human. Who just happens to be women. Sojourner

For example, when we freed the slaves and helped them integrate into society, it enabled our country to benefit from the diversity that integration brought forth. It also highlighted deep biases and prejudices that would need to be dealt with by future generations. As a population, if we do not understand the history of our social justice movements and how we have struggled in the past, we are doomed to repeat some of the problems our ancestors had worked to overcome. This is why it is so important to teach our children the truth about our history so, when they are the leaders and make up the voting population one day, they will be able to make appropriate decisions and not repeat our mistakes. Not telling our kids the whole truth about our history is lying and depriving them of the knowledge that they will need to move this country forward. Just as it is the government's responsibility to help its citizens in need, it is also the government's responsibility to make sure that its children learn the truth about who has been in need and how they were helped so that we continue to make progress in social justice for everyone who lives

Teachers tend to skim over the end of textbooks, which contain more recent events, maybe because there is not enough time in the year to finish teaching the entire book, but also teacher tend to just touch on these subjects because they can be controversial especially if it happened in or around their lifetime. Surveying the books, it shows that more recent decades in our textbooks contain less than half the amount of pages than a chapter taking place in the 1930’s; however, it is possible that these chapters are shorter because there has been less time spent studying current events. Studying more recent events in classrooms seems like a good topic for discussion considering the students and teachers could understand different opinions about a topic they or someone they know have lived through, hopefully giving a better understanding. Not going into more detail about current events leaves us continuing to

On June 12, 1863 Sojourner Truth spoke at a Sabbath School in Michigan. The entire audience gave Truth their entire attention, despite the fact that she was once a slave who was thought of as barely a human. “Does not God love colored children as well as white children? And did not the same Savior die to save the one as well as the other? If so, white children must know that if they go to Heaven, they must go there without their prejudice against color, for in Heaven black and white are one in the love of Jesus” (Butler). This speech was easily one of Sojourner Truth’s most famous concerning the topic of the abolition of slavery. Every member of the crowd was truly touched, and had a hard time not wanting to help with the cause.

To know the past is to know the future. In his essay Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are, David McCullough argues about the importance of studying and teaching history. In his essay, he explains that there are three main points about history: character and its effect upon destiny, our failure of teaching the future generation, and the importance of learning and listening to history. David McCullough strongly advocates that audience should start to listen to and teach about the past in order to learn about the way a person’s character can affect their destiny.

Sojourner Truth is an American legend. She began life as a slave and ended her life as an outgoing speaker and free woman. Sojourner led a very disadvantage life but was able to rise above her hardships. Truth was a motivational speaker even though she was not able to read or write. Sojourner Truth continues to impact lives today through her works.

Sojourner Truth was thought to be born in New York 1797 but no one is for sure. She was born a slave and her name wasn’t Sojourner Truth until 1843. Sojourner’s life had been pockmarked with her first son being sold and being under harsh masters for a total of 28 years, but no longer. She made a huge decision. Sojourner Truth decided that she would give a better life to her kids and to herself instead of losing hope, and in late 1826 while her other 2 children stayed behind she escaped with her infant daughter. And when Peter, one of her children was illegally sold, she went to court and won the right to bring him to the north, becoming one of the first African American women to successfully challenged a white man in court. Sojourner Truth

History is often fabricated and told in a way that is appealing to youth and descendants. History is often told from “white eyes” Loewen suggest that it be told through red eyes to provide true insight in what has formed our country. “One does not start from point zero, but from minus ten” (Loewens 93). High School students are presented information in a biased way. Students are not always taught how to view a situation through another perspective. Students are only able to view a situation based on how they have lived or what they know best. When teaching history of the world teachers often teach harsh situations from the past in ways that are fabricated. “If we look Indian history squarely in the eye, we are going to get red eyes” (Loewen 95). In this statement Loewen suggest that if a reader looks at a situation “squarely” the reader will develop “red eyes” that open the reader up to reality of our decedents and the

Our nation has come about through a series of changes, sort of like an evolution to the powerful nation we have become, and even greater nation we perhaps will be one day. It takes the acknowledgement and courage of people to bring about a change in society from what was known to what will be. Such a humanitarian hero was Sojourner Truth.<br><br>Sojourner Truth was born a slave named Isabella Baumfree sometime in 1797 in Ulster county, New York. The exact date of her birth is to this day unknown, but it is believed to have been sometime during the fall. She developed her characteristics of courage and dependability from her mother, Mau Mau Bett, at an early age. Isabella was first owned by a Dutch named Charles, who was happened to be a

I found most interesting in Sojourner Truth was her determination and courage to change a wretched and cruel idea that existed in the world, into something that would become extinct. Sojourner Truth was determined to to keep her son safe and won the case against a white man. She was determined to let colored people, the people that were looked down on just because of the color of their skin, have equal rights and be the same as everyone else in the world. She was determined to let women have the same rights and to be the same as men, she believed women could do the things men did. Truth was determined and courageous enough to force the desegregation of streetcars in Washington by riding in cars meant for only whites. She was determined to secure

To be strong means having the skills and qualities that provide a likelihood of success. Sojourner was a woman of great strength. She surpassed many obstacles in her life. Truth is a great, honest representation of women's past. Truth was a women’s rights activist and an abolitionist throughout her life. In conclusion, Sojourner was a brave, powerful, and successful woman.