“This whole year, we've been having an exhibit all about freedom and what freedom means to all of us, especially in today’s world,” Mayor Steve Noble said. “We all know how important it is to be able to have our freedom, but it wasn't always so easy, and especially for individuals like Sojourner Truth.”

On April 10, the City of Kingston hosted an event in honor of Sojourner Truth at City Hall, where about a dozen young children and community members came to see Trina Greene’s Sojourner Truth statue and an emotional, interactive performance by Aixa Kendrick, who took on the role of Sojourner Truth, the woman who escaped slavery in Ulster County and went on to become a prominent abolitionist and women’s rights activist.

The event was organized by city Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs Kitt Potter, who fought for the Sojourner Truth statue sculpted by local artist Greene to be put on display after controversy delayed its unveiling; now, it will be on display at City Hall until August, at which point it will be toured around regional locations before finding its permanent home on the SUNY New Paltz campus.

The story of Sojourner Truth is important to many people today, such as Maxwell Kofi Donkor, who played traditional Ghanaian music at the event. He was inspired to attend because of his shared heritage with Truth, whose family came from Ghana and Guinea before being enslaved. Donkor is also from Ghana.

“All that we had in that place, in Ghana, is truth,” he said. “It’s amazing to look at it, that we actually rest on the shoulders of those who came ahead of us. So we need to realize that there is nothing that is ever going to break our spirit.”

Just as Truth pushed for her freedom, Briana Gary, the conservation pathways coordinator at the Kingston YMCA Farm Project, pushed for recognizing Truth’s life at the state level. In high school, she worked on a project to have Sojourner Truth Day be recognized across New York State after participating in Youth of America. She says that they began reading a book called “Stamp” by Jason Reynolds, which mentioned Truth, and they realized how little they knew about a local historical figure. After learning more about the political system, one of her peers had the idea of creating a day honoring her. They chose Nov. 26, the day Truth died, since her birthday is unknown.

“Sojourner Truth, as you can tell from the story, is an inspiration to those who believe in change, bold in the face of injustice. She's a mother, an activist, and a speaker worthy of recognition and praise,” Gary said. “So us teenagers worked with the help of local officials, because obviously we were also kids ourselves, so we're a little unfamiliar with that process, and with their help, we were able to spread Sojourner Truth’s story and make November 26 her official date of recognition in all of New York State.”

She told those in attendance, especially the children, that they can push for the change they want to see by working together.

Kendrick in her performance emphasized Truth’s determination and courage. She was separated from her family, forced into slavery and then promised freedom, but ultimately had to fight for it herself and to fight for the freedom of her children, including her son Peter who was illegally sold to a slave owner in Alabama. She sued in Ulster County Court and became of the first black women to win a legal case against a white man.

“I claimed myself, I claimed my freedom, I claimed Peter’s freedom,” Kendrick said to the audience, performing as Truth. “You must always claim your own freedom. So I named myself Sojourner Truth.”