Wednesday marks Sojourner Truth Day.

New York state leaders have designated Nov. 26 in honor of Truth’s legacy. Lawmakers passed the bill last year and it was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last November. 

“Sojourner Truth was an American hero whose unyielding fight for freedom and equality continues to inspire us nearly 200 years after her passing, igniting a new generation of young leaders carrying her legacy forward—including here in Ulster County, Truth’s birthplace,” Sen. Michelle Hinchey said. “Our bill to establish Sojourner Truth Day in New York began with students from the Kingston YMCA Youth Crew, who recognized our responsibility in New York State to share her journey as one of the most prolific abolitionists and women’s rights activists of the time. Turning this vision into law is an honor, and I thank Assemblymember Shrestha for her partnership and Governor Hochul for signing our bill into law. For New York, November 26th of each year will not only reflect our commitment to keeping Sojourner Truth’s legacy alive but reaffirm what it means to be a New Yorker: always striving toward a better, more equitable future for all.”

Truth was born in Ulster County and later freed herself from slavery in 1826.

She successfully sued to win her son’s freedom at the Ulster County Courthouse in Kingston and was the first Black woman to win a court case against a white man in the United States.

“Sojourner Truth didn’t stop when she became the first Black woman to successfully sue white men to get her son released from slavery – she went on to spend the rest of her life fighting for everyone else across the country. Her determination is a reminder that those who commit to dismantling systems of oppression and injustice seldom do it because someone told them it was going to be easy,” Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha added. “They do it precisely because it’s difficult, and precisely because it’s up to everyday people like Truth and her abolitionist peers were at the time, to lay the groundwork for making the impossible possible. I’m thrilled to have worked with Senator Hinchey and Governor Hochul to establish November 26th as Sojourner Truth Day in the State of New York, and look forward to honoring Truth’s work every year.”