Sojourner Truth Speaks Her Name to the World

A long time ago, a little girl was born in New York. Her name was Isabella. She had big brown eyes and a big, strong voice. But she was not free. She was enslaved, and that was very, very wrong. Isabella worked hard every single day. She carried heavy buckets. She planted seeds in cold fields. But deep inside her heart, she heard something. It sounded like a song. It sounded like the word freedom. One morning, Isabella made a brave decision. She picked up her baby daughter. She wrapped her in a warm cloth. And she walked away, step by step, toward a new life. Kind people helped her find safety. They gave her warm bread and a place to sleep. Isabella looked up at the wide blue sky and felt something brand new. She felt free. Then God gave her a new name. She called herself Sojourner Truth. Sojourner means traveler. Truth means telling what is real. She was going to travel everywhere and tell the truth. Sojourner stood up at big meetings. Her voice rang out like a bell. She said, Slavery is wrong. Every person deserves to be free. People listened. Some were changed forever. She spoke for women too. She said women deserved to be heard, just like men. Her words were brave. Her words were true. Sojourner Truth never stopped walking. She never stopped speaking. She believed America could be better, and she helped make it so. Tonight, little one, remember her brave steps. Remember her strong voice. Remember that the truth is always worth saying out loud. God made every person with worth and dignity. And that is something worth standing up for. Sleep tight, brave heart.