"It is up to us who walk in Sojourner Truth’s footsteps to carry on into the future and continue to build upon her legacy"

- Velma Laws Clay

Sojourner Truth was the most famous African American woman in 19 th century America.

Her story is one of courage and determination. For over forty years she traveled the

country fighting for human rights. A powerful figure in several national social

movements, Sojourner Truth advocated forcefully for the abolition of slavery, women’s

rights and suffrage, the rights of freedmen, and prison reform.

Inspired by Sojourner Truth’s legacy, Dr. Velma Laws Clay established the Sojourner

Truth Institute of Battle Creek in 1998 to expand the historical and biographical

knowledge of Sojourner Truth’s life work and carry on her mission by teaching,

demonstrating and promoting projects that accentuate the ideals and principles for

which she stood.

Today, the Institute leads intentional dialogue and educational opportunities rooted in

social justice, women’s rights and racial equality.