Michelle Unveils Sojourner Statue

Another historic moment for Washington: Michelle Obama, speaking Tuesday at the new Capitol Visitor Center, helped unveil a statue of the abolitionist and women’s rights advocate Sojourner Truth. In her remarks, the first lady marveled at “just [imagining] what she would have to say about this incredible gathering, just looking down on this day, and thinking about the legacy she has left all of us.” Truth, a woman born into slavery in New York State, went on to become a contemporary of other abolitionists and women’s suffrage advocates such as Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and Susan B. Anthony. Obama recognized Truth’s work in advancing both struggles, saying: “I hope that Sojourner Truth would be proud to see me, a descendant of slaves, serving as the first lady of the United States of America.”