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To: Sojourner Family Peace Center
Sojourner Family Center remove and replace the statue of Sojourner with one that looks like her.
Remove and replace the current statue with an authentic image that looks like Sojourner.
Why is this important?
This letter is being sent to you on behalf of my sincere concern over the distorted representation of a historical icon in the African American community. What I am referring to is the sculpture of Sojourner Truth which is located at the Sojourner Family Peace Center 619 W. Walnut Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It saddens me that the statue of Sojourner created by an inspired well intended artisan doesn’t look like her at all. It is a depiction of a fair complexioned person which Ms. Truth was not.
I believe along with others in my community that she should have the respect of looking like herself. She should appear in the dark complexion and African features she was born with.
Sojourner Truth was a proud Black woman that stood for the dignity of all Black women, as well as equity for all women. She was an abolitionist and often spoke against slavery.
It is disheartening to see her denigrated and defaced. To give her, a proud Black woman European features and skin color is a disgrace and a visual assault on her memory and to all Black women.
From the Black doll research of the 50's to the promotion of bleaching cream marketing advertisements to our community, the concept of women with dark complexions are invisible and have no value continues. The assault on our African features subsided briefly in the sixties during the Black Pride movement; unfortunately it has found its way back into our communities psyche through media advertisements, TV, and other genres. Three years ago a Film artist and documentarian, created a film entitled Black Girls. It documented the historical damage and negative effects on women of African descent who are discriminated against because of their dark complexions.
That is why it is crucial that we stand up and speak out when there is an attempt to perform plastic surgery on the African features of our historical icons. Those who consciously or unconsciously perpetrate such an assault on our images must be put on notice. We as a community are not going to sleep through these types of actions any longer. Our legacies are no longer for sale.
The white washing of Black women has been a blatant reconstruction of the images of Black women that we have had to endure throughout time as African American women. We want our children and those children yet unborn to know that Sojourner Truth was a Black woman.
In addition; we want them to know that to possess a dark complexion with African features is not a negative that needs to be erased with lightening cream or paint in this case.
We ask that you continue to pay homage to Sojourner by replacing that statue with an authentic rendering of her restoring her dark skin color and African features.
It saddens me that the statue of Sojourner created by an inspired well intended artisan doesn’t look like her at all. It is a depiction of a fair complexioned person which Ms. Truth was not.
I believe along with others in my community that she should have the respect of looking like herself. She should appear in the dark complexion and African features she was born with.
Sojourner Truth was a proud Black woman that stood for the dignity of all Black women, as well as equity for all women. She was an abolitionist and often spoke against slavery.
It is disheartening to see her denigrated and defaced. To give her, a proud Black woman European features and skin color is a disgrace and a visual assault on her memory and to all Black women.
From the Black doll research of the 50's to the promotion of bleaching cream marketing advertisements to our community, the concept of women with dark complexions are invisible and have no value continues. The assault on our African features subsided briefly in the sixties during the Black Pride movement; unfortunately it has found its way back into our communities psyche through media advertisements, TV, and other genres. Three years ago a Film artist and documentarian, created a film entitled Black Girls. It documented the historical damage and negative effects on women of African descent who are discriminated against because of their dark complexions.
That is why it is crucial that we stand up and speak out when there is an attempt to perform plastic surgery on the African features of our historical icons. Those who consciously or unconsciously perpetrate such an assault on our images must be put on notice. We as a community are not going to sleep through these types of actions any longer. Our legacies are no longer for sale.
The white washing of Black women has been a blatant reconstruction of the images of Black women that we have had to endure throughout time as African American women. We want our children and those children yet unborn to know that Sojourner Truth was a Black woman.
In addition; we want them to know that to possess a dark complexion with African features is not a negative that needs to be erased with lightening cream or paint in this case.
We ask that you continue to pay homage to Sojourner by replacing that statue with an authentic rendering of her restoring her dark skin color and African features.