Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton to unveil sculpture of Sojourner Truth in Emancipation Hall

[babylonsister]

http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/04/24/michelle-obama-hillary-clinton-to-unveil-sculpture/

Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton to unveil sculpture
@ 4:27 pm by Hill Staff


First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are planning to join House and Senate Leaders next Tuesday to unveil a bust of Sojourner Truth in the Capitol Visitor's Center's Emancipation Hall.

The sculpture of the former slave turned abolitionist and women's rights activist will also be introduced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.), and Rep. Sheila Jackson (D-Texas), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The ceremony is planned to include musical performances by Lomax Spaulding, gospel singers Dorinda Clarke Cole and Yolanda Adams, and 25 students of the Ron Clark Academy are scheduled to perform their original song, "Sojourner Truth", which they prepared for the event.

–Jordy Yager

[rvablue]

1. Cool. n/t

[juno jones]

2. To the greatest...k&r

For one of the greatest speeches of the 19th century...'Ain't I A Woman', where she addressed the issues of race and class that the predominantly upper-class feminists of the day often preferred to overlook.

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and 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 a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

3. Awesome!

[polichick]

4. Wonder if the public is allowed at this event - be nice to see!

[Realtalk]

5. I wonder

who gets selected to attend these events beside the President and First Lady. I get Nancy, John, Sheila, and everyone else but why Hillary?

[dsc]

16. She sponsered the Senate bill which funded

the sculpture.

[monmouth]

6. Is this the event Limbaugh will be speaking at? ......n/t

[3waygeek]

7. No f*cking way

would Limbaugh be invited to an event honoring truth.

[Captain Hilts]

8. I hope Dorothy Height can make it. nt

[applegrove]

9. Great.

[Vidar]

10. Very a propos.

[TahitiNut]

11. A long-overdue and much-deserved honor to a great person. Bravo.

:applause:

[Beacool]

12. Was that before or after Hillary was blinded by the suit of the envoy from Libya?

:rofl:

[Number23]

13. Oh, I love it. Absolutely love it.

[Pachamama]

14. A tribute to a most amazing woman....and attended by two more amazing women...

I wish I could attend this...what a great woman Sojourner Truth was and what she did and experienced in her lifetime....She was a double champion - a champion of human rights and equality for both women and for Blacks....actually for all....and she was a true follower of Christ...

[PBS Poll-435]

15. It is Sheila Jackson-Lee

Houston (Texas-18)

[ensho]

17. right on! thanks for the info, hope c-span covers it

nt

[lunatica]

18. Sojourner Truth put her life on the line every day

Her famous "Ain't I A Woman" speech was when she walked into a white church and simply stood by the podium until the preacher moved aside and she move to it and said those words. We would never have heard about it except one man wrote it down. She did this as an Abolitionist and it was before the womens' movement started.

They could have easily done away with her and no one would have bothered to prosecute back then.

[saltpoint]

19. This is the sort of thing I love to see.

Long overdue and very much welcome.

Go, team.