Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman?

Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? is a docudrama produced, co-written and researched by Loren Stephens and directed by Judy Chaikin for Coronet Films and New World Television. Intended for classroom use, the film recreates dramatic moments in the life of freed slave, abolitionist, and woman’s rights activist, Sojourner Truth. Although she could neither read nor write, she was a powerful orator and together with Frederick Douglass, fought for the rights of Blacks and women in America, linking the two causes together. The pivotal moment of the film is her famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” where she equates her strength, savvy and power with that of a man. Starring Julie Harris and Roscoe Lee Browne, this film won a Golden Apple from the National Education Association. The film contains rare archival photographs, letters, and selections from Sojourner Truth’s diary (written by a woman who followed her journey throughout the country). The film is currently unavailable.