[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING SOJOURNER TRUTH
(Mr. DELGADO asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. DELGADO. Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Sojourner Truth.
Born a slave in Ulster County in 1797, she ran away to freedom with her
infant daughter in 1827. She then challenged the illegal sale of her
son to a slave owner and was the first Black woman to win such a case
against a White man. She spent the rest of her life as a national
leader in the abolitionist movement, challenging the norms of her time
by advocating for gender and racial equality and for the right to vote.
Her bust is displayed here in the Capitol in Emancipation Hall, the
first sculpture here to honor an African American woman.
It is an unbelievable honor as well as incredibly humbling to stand
here during this Black History Month, as the first African American
Congressman from Upstate New York, to recognize the life of a true
American hero.
I hope and pray that we as a nation continue to honor her legacy and
so many others who have committed their lives to ensuring America live
up to the promise of true equality for all.
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