Sojourner Truth Statue (Highland, New York)
Dublin Core
Title
Sojourner Truth Statue (Highland, New York)
Subject
Subject (Topic)
Antislavery movements--United States
Freedom
New York (State)--Highland
Public art
Public sculpture
Women--Suffrage
Antislavery movements--United States
Freedom
New York (State)--Highland
Public art
Public sculpture
Women--Suffrage
Subject (Name)
Truth, Sojourner, c. 1797-1883
Truth, Sojourner, c. 1797-1883
Subject (Object Type)
Commemorative sculpture
Commemorative sculpture
Description
Vinnie Bagwell's seven-foot-tall bronze statue of Sojourner Truth reveals a bespectacled, a middle-aged woman who stares resolutely forward, her head turned slightly to the right. Bagwell, perhaps taking inspiration from this undated carte de visite of Truth, shows Truth with her right arm outstretched by her side and a cane in her left hand. The folds of her skirt contain bas-reliefs from moments in Truth's life including images of a young enslaved mother comforting her child, a slavery sale sign, images of her abolitionist peers, and a poster for a Women's Suffrage March.
Creator
Bagwell, Vinnie, 1957-
Source
Photograph: Hudson Valley Times
Date
August 26, 2020
Contributor
New York State Women's Suffrage Commission; Modern Art Foundry; Fine Arts Specialists
Rights
New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York, 12207, United States
Format
JPEG
Language
English
Type
Visual Arts-Sculpture
Coverage
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, 87 Haviland Road, Highland, New York, 12528, United States
Has Part
Informational plaque about the Sojourner Truth Statue:
Isabelle Baumfree (Bomefree) was born enslaved in Ulster County among Dutch people. As Sojourner Truth she became one of the nation's leading voices for abolition and universal suffrage in the nineteenth century. She "walked away by day light," freeing herself from slavery one year before legal enslavement ended in New York. Following her deeply held religious views she traveled as an intinerant preacher, speaking "truth" to the harsh inequalities people of color and women suffered, while calling for systemic change. Naming herself Sojourner Truth, she became known for her strong mind and remarkable gift of language, which she used tirelessly for human rights.
Throughout her life, Sojourner Truth fought for justice for all under the law. She won several court cases tied to the rights of Black women, including regaining her illegally-sold son and later defending herself against slander. Her imposing stature, remarkable oratory skills, and melodic voice propelled Truth to the forefront in the national debates on abolition, suffrage, and the flight of those formerly enslaved. Sojourner Truth's belief in equal rights for all humans has kept her in the public consciousness and allowed her to become a symbol for strength and change during the Civil Rights and Women's Movements of the 20th century.
Statue Inscriptions
A. "The Truth is Powerful and It Prevails."
B. Three Spirals
C. "Negroes for Sale" sign
D. Mother, Son and Hand
E. Heart Symbol (Adinkra)
F. Isabella Baumtree
G. Influenctial Faces
H. Female Warrior
I. Abolitionist Poster
J. Dutch and Braille Translations
"We are now trying for liberty that requires no blood--that women shall have their rights, not rights from you. Give them what belongs to them." --Sojourner Truth
Vinnie Bagwell, Artist
A native of New York State, Ms. Bagwell is a multi-disciplinary artist, sculptor, painter, writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. She has completed numerous public art commissions including a bronze of "The Lady of Jazz Ella Fitzgerald," which was the first public artwork of a contemporary African American woman to be commissioned by a municipality in the United States.
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
New York Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Isabelle Baumfree (Bomefree) was born enslaved in Ulster County among Dutch people. As Sojourner Truth she became one of the nation's leading voices for abolition and universal suffrage in the nineteenth century. She "walked away by day light," freeing herself from slavery one year before legal enslavement ended in New York. Following her deeply held religious views she traveled as an intinerant preacher, speaking "truth" to the harsh inequalities people of color and women suffered, while calling for systemic change. Naming herself Sojourner Truth, she became known for her strong mind and remarkable gift of language, which she used tirelessly for human rights.
Throughout her life, Sojourner Truth fought for justice for all under the law. She won several court cases tied to the rights of Black women, including regaining her illegally-sold son and later defending herself against slander. Her imposing stature, remarkable oratory skills, and melodic voice propelled Truth to the forefront in the national debates on abolition, suffrage, and the flight of those formerly enslaved. Sojourner Truth's belief in equal rights for all humans has kept her in the public consciousness and allowed her to become a symbol for strength and change during the Civil Rights and Women's Movements of the 20th century.
Statue Inscriptions
A. "The Truth is Powerful and It Prevails."
B. Three Spirals
C. "Negroes for Sale" sign
D. Mother, Son and Hand
E. Heart Symbol (Adinkra)
F. Isabella Baumtree
G. Influenctial Faces
H. Female Warrior
I. Abolitionist Poster
J. Dutch and Braille Translations
"We are now trying for liberty that requires no blood--that women shall have their rights, not rights from you. Give them what belongs to them." --Sojourner Truth
Vinnie Bagwell, Artist
A native of New York State, Ms. Bagwell is a multi-disciplinary artist, sculptor, painter, writer, illustrator, and graphic designer. She has completed numerous public art commissions including a bronze of "The Lady of Jazz Ella Fitzgerald," which was the first public artwork of a contemporary African American woman to be commissioned by a municipality in the United States.
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park
New York Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Extent
84 in. (213.36 cm)
Medium
Bronze
Bibliographic Citation
Press Release. "New York State Announces Unveiling of Sojourner Truth Statue at The Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park." August 26, 2020. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.governor.ny.gov/unveiling-sojourner-truth-statue-walkway-over-hudson-state-historic-park.
Santistevan, Ryan. "Sojourner Truth Statue Installed at Highland's Walkway Over the Hudson Welcome Center." Poughkeepsie Journal, August 18, 2020. Accessed February 19, 2025. https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2020/08/18/sojourner-truth-statue-installed-walkway-over-hudson-highland/5596247002/.
Rights Holder
Renée Ater
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Sculpture
Physical Dimensions
84 in. (213.36 cm)
Collection
Citation
Bagwell, Vinnie, 1957-, “Sojourner Truth Statue (Highland, New York),” Contemporary Monuments to the Slave Past, accessed October 1, 2026, https://www.slaverymonuments.org/items/show/1211.