In 1797 in Ulster County New York, a slave named Isabella Bomfree was born. This unto itself was no extraordinary event, however the legacy she would leave is a truly remarkable story. A story that left its mark right here in Michigan. 

It is no secret that the Underground Railroad was known to operate in Michigan, helping to lead runaway slaves to freedom. One of the most famous abolitionist and advocate for women’s suffrage was none other than that slave girl from New York, more commonly known as Sojourner Truth. 

In 1827 Isabella escaped slavery with her daughter Sophia, and found refuge with a nearby abolitionist family, who bought her freedom for $20.  She then moved to New York City where she became an extremely captivating and inspiring speaker. That is where she declared “the Spirit called on her to speak the truth.” Henceforth she was known as Soljurner Truth. Truth stood an impressive six feet tall and was a commanding presence. Her passionate speeches inspired many people to join the Union Army and gain voting rights for women, making her arguably one of the most famous people to have settled in Battle Creek, Michigan.

I was born in Battle Creek and attended elementary school in one of the smaller schools within B.C. schools. I remember vividly the time my second-grade teacher took daily in February to teach us of the great accomplishments by people like Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, and most notably Sojourner Truth. 

Mrs. Macon was to my knowledge the only black teacher at Valley View Elementary. She was passionate when she spoke of these people, and conveyed their heroic efforts with an enthusiastic furor. I was riveted by their stories and recall it being my favorite part of the day other than gym.We had heard stories of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, and we all assumed these things were common knowledge when Mrs. Macon told us of the Underground Railroad and the fight against slavery. I regaled these people equally as heroes of America.  

The next year in third grade our entire class went to the Battle Creek art center and were treated to an exhibit featuring a short film about the life of Sojourner Truth.  We then went to the Oak Hill Cemetery to visit the final resting place of one of Michigan’s great heroes.  I remember feeling a great sense of pride knowing that a person of such high esteem had chosen the same town I lived in to spend her last days.  I have learned from the life of Truth that equality is not granted, it is hard fought. 

“I have plowed, I have planted and I have gathered into barns. And no man could head me. And ain’t I a woman? I could work as much, and eat as much as man—when I could get it—and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne children and seen most of them sold into slavery, and when I cried out with a mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me. And ain’t I a woman? “

Sojourner Truth

I knew though I may not have suffered such things, there were people who did.  The right thing to do was to consider the difficulty of some people to be considered equal. Today I still see instances of inequality, and know it is honorable to hold an unpopular opinion if the aim is equality.  The strength of Sojourner Truth and her incredible legacy will continue to inspire me for the rest of my days, and I only hope I can pass her stories down with the same enthusiasm of Mrs. Macon.

Eddie Leboeuf is a union electrician with a love for the outdoors. He resides in Colon where he serves as trustee and pro tem for the Village of Colon.