The case that made sojourner truth: How a formerly enslaved woman beat the establishment

About this episode

This episode explores the remarkable legal case of Sojourner Truth, a formerly enslaved woman who successfully sued for her son's freedom.

In this special Black History Month edition of Amici: News and Insights from the New York Courts, we shine a light on one of the most extraordinary and often overlooked stories in American legal history. It begins in Ulster County, New York, where a newly freed Black woman discovers that her young son has been illegally sold to a plantation in Alabama. Determined to bring her son home and seek justice for herself and her family, she turns to the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston, NY. Her name was Isabella, the woman the world would come to know as Sojourner Truth. Thanks to the kindness of those she encountered in the courthouse and the bravery of the grand jury she stood in front of, Sojourner Truth became the first Black woman in the United States to successfully sue a white man and win. To help us explore this remarkable chapter of Sojourner Truth’s life, we’re joined by historian and Ulster County Commissioner of Jurors Paul O’Neill. Paul has made it part of his mission to share Sojourner Truth’s story with today’s jurors as a reminder “That each of us plays a role, and each of us can make a difference.” Transcript…

People in this episode

Host: John Caher

Guest: Paul O’Neill

Topics covered

• Black History
• Legal History
• Sojourner Truth
• Justice
• Civil Rights

Keywords

• Sojourner Truth
• legal history
• Black History Month
• justice
• civil rights
• Ulster County
• Kingston NY

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Ulster County, New York, Kingston, NY, Alabama

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