Upcoming program to focus on life and court documents found on activist Sojourner Truth

The Historical Society of the New York Courts in collaboration with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York State Archives and Unified Court System presents the upcoming program Sojourner Truth, Slavery, and the Justice System: The Importance of Preserving Court Documents.

The event will be held in person on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and simultaneously streamed online. This program is free and open to the public.

Sojourner Truth stands today as an iconic activist. She was born into slavery but escaped to freedom. Shortly after freeing herself, she began the process of restoring her family and went to court in Ulster County to free her son — and won. Truth became the first Black woman to win a lawsuit, and while the records of this historic case were preserved, at some point in the ensuing 200 years they were lost — only to be recovered in 2022, igniting greater understanding of Truth’s undaunting courage.

This program will tell the story of Sojourner Truth’s inspiring life, also focusing on the detective story of how the records were recovered and the important role of archives in preserving documents for future generations and teaching history to better inform the future. Panelists include Dr. Michelle Commander, Deputy Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library; Paul O’Neill, Esq., Commissioner of Jurors, Ulster County; Dr. Nell Irvin Painter, Edwards Professor American History, Emerita, Princeton University; and Thomas J. Ruller, NYS Archivist.

Visit the Society’s website to register for this free in-person and online event: https://history.nycourts.gov/events/sojourner-truth/