Our mission is to keep alive the history of Sojourner’s work in our community as well as foster her vision of a world of equality and justice for all people.

The land on which the statue stands has hosted generations of people striving to make a nation where Black Lives Matter. It was inhabited  by the Pocumtuc and Nipmuc people for over 10,000 years before Europeans arrived and occupied indigenous lands. First Nations people continue to live on these lands and steward them.  We acknowledge and give thanks to indigenous ancestors and we support their descendants who are our neighbors.

The Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee works to promote an understanding of Sojourner Truth’s significance in American history, through a variety of ways:

• We partner with area schools to bring Sojourner Truth’s inspirational life story into the classroom.
• We celebrate Sojourner Truth’s legacy at our annual community celebration held on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend.
• We grant scholarships and grants to local high school students active in social justice efforts.
• We host a walking tour of the African American Heritage Trail and promote awareness of the history of abolition and activism in Florence, Massachusetts, during the mid-1800s, during community tours, in collaboration with our partner the David Ruggles Center.

If you are interested in learning more about our work, please sign up for our mailing list and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Our History

In 1992, a group of Pioneer Valley citizens came together following the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles to talk about how this community could further ideas of racial equality and justice for all citizens. They decided on two goals: to create a symbol of the community’s desire to help eliminate racism and challenge oppression in our society, and to honor Sojourner Truth as that symbol because she lived in Florence, MA, in the 19th century and her life work was to end racism and promote equality in our country. With the idea of creating a memorial statue to honor Sojourner Truth and her work, the Sojourner Truth Memorial Statue Committee was formed. From 1993–2000, the Statue Committee led a community-wide effort to increase awareness of the legacy of Sojourner Truth, culminating with the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue on Sunday, October 6, 2002.

The Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee Nondiscrimination Policy

The Sojourner Truth Memorial Committee is guided by the principle that Black Lives Matter and that this calls for reparations wherever possible. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for our scholarship recipients, participants in our programs and all volunteers.