Ain't I a Woman?

The inspiration for today's blog comes from two sources, the first is from a lady called Sojourner Truth; Sojourner stood up and uninvited and unannounced spoke out at the Women's Convention in Ohio, in 1851. I came across her speech while studying on a course that was about the science of learning.
Her short speech is stunning because it is truthful. Sojourner spoke out for equality regarding women and men's rights to work, food and religion, and also pointed to the hypocrisy underlying women's loss of freedom. The trade off for being protected from the harshness of life was only forthcoming if the female in question was rich and white. Her experience of being a black woman meant she had no rights, not even those of a mother to keep many of her children who were all sold off into slavery. The speech is in full at the bottom of the page.

The second source comes from a conversation I was having with my daughter over the weekend, the conversation went like this,
'So how was the gig?'
'Great, it was quiet at first and I was a little worried 'cos it would have been rubbish for Mr. Scruff to play to an empty venue as he is so good and he may have thought bugger it I'm not playing there again which means we lose out in the future. Anyhow about 11 o'clock it filled up and it was great, me and Beth danced like mad'.
'Sounds good, I'm glad you two had a good time'.
'Yeah we were dancing with a couple of guys who were real fun but then they turned a bit weird but Beth came up with the best put down'.
'Oh yeah, what happened?'
'They followed us out of the club and kept asking us to go for another drink, "Just one more,please we have had so much fun with you girls. Just one. Come on. Just one." But we just kept saying no we had to leave as we had work the next morning'.
'Then what happened?'
'Well this one guy just kept going on about how great we both were then he said "Come on we'll buy you drugs".
'What?!'
'Yeah, I know what a wanker'.
'So what did you do?'
'Well it was Beth, she just turned and looked at them and said "We are not drug whores" and the guy who offered us drugs just looked kind of winded and then stumbled off! I mean all we had been doing was dancing, what made him think we wanted or used drugs.'

Ok so how can the experiences of Sojourner, my daughter and those of my own be connected? Well it got me to thinking as to how we define and respect ourselves as women. How do we stand up for who and what we are?

I recall many years ago being called belligerent, I didn't know what it meant at the time but I knew it wasn't meant as a complement. When I found out the dictionary definition meant 'war like, aggressive' I warmed to the description because at the time I was a student nurse arguing with a clinical supervisor on what I thought to be an unkindness towards a vulnerable human being. As a woman, I stood up for what I saw as my responsibility to care and protect this person and I wouldn't quit.
My daughter and her friend very bluntly put the drug offering scum in his place, they stood up for who and what they are because they are strong young women. They have a sense of self and a sufficient  amount of belligerency to defend what they are and state clearly what they are not.
Sojourner's actions, my daughter and her friend's actions and mine are all connected because by speaking out we define who and what we are as women.  Defining ourselves may sometimes take the form of small individual actions but we need to keep taking these so that we are able to face up and take some of the bigger one's in our lives.

I have been musing over what tune might accompany this posting and to be honest I just can't decide. If you can think of a tune that defines you as a woman let me know, I'd like to hear it.



Ain't I a Woman

Sojourner Truth,  Women’s Convention, Akron, Ohio, 28-29 May 1851.

 

"Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I

think that 'twixt the negroes of the South and the women of the North, all talking about

rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages and lifted over

ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or

over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? 

Look at me! Look at my arm! I could have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man when

I could get it- and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a woman? 

I have borne thirteen children, and seen them most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [Intellect, somebody

whispers] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negro's rights? If

my cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let

me have my little half measure-full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men,

'cause Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ

come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all

alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up

again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me.