Hundreds gathered Wednesday evening to witness the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue at the Akron site named after the famed abolitionist and champion of women’s rights.

The statue, created by artist Woodrow Nash, was purposely revealed at the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza 173 years — to the day — after Truth was believed to have delivered her most celebrated speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?,” at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in Akron.

Residents and visitors of various ages and backgrounds on Wednesday celebrated the moment, many wearing Sojourner Truth apparel and paraphernalia from Greek-letter organizations. 

The cost of the plaza, including the statue, was approximately $2.5 million. Planning efforts stretched more than three decades.

Read more here:
• History making: How a group of locals brought Akron’s Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza to life
• The true story behind Sojourner Truth’s famous Akron speech
• Sojourner Truth Statue Fund

Sojourner Truth unveiling: See more images in Akron

Community members cheer as the statue of Sojourner Truth is unveiled to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Lathardus Goggins II, of Akron, takes a selfie with the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. “It’s important to mark it as a history marker,” Goggins II said about the physical representation of the Sojourner Truth statue. “But un-taught history is still a dead history.” Goggins II is the education chair for the Akron NAACP and hopes to see the history of Sojourner Truth be a stronger presence in schools. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Akron artist Woodrow Nash speaks at the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue, which he sculpted, to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Cory McLiechey, a fifth-generation member of the Sojourner Truth family, speaks at the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Hundreds of people fill the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza ahead of the Sojourner Truth statue unveiling Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Community members listen to remarks at the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
A young child sits as close to the front of the crowd as he can as remarks are given ahead of the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Rosemary Yaa Dufie traveled to Akron from Ghana to speak at the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Woodrow Nash (center) sits with his wife and listens to remarks at the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth statue to complete the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at United Way of Summit & Medina in downtown Akron. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)

Managing Editor (he/him)
Gary is returning to Akron after previously working at the Akron Beacon Journal as a sports reporter from 2003 to 2006. He is committed to delivering authoritative, trustworthy journalism that is accessible to everyone. Gary mostly recently worked as a newsroom leader in Clarksville (Tenn.), Murfreesboro (Tenn.) and Nashville, where he was the business, race and culture editor at The Tennessean. He is a native of New Orleans and a product of Southern University and A&M College. In his free time, you can find him cycling, playing paintball and smoking meats.

Multimedia reporter/producer (she/her)
Kassi Filkins strives to be an active part of whatever community she finds herself in and joins Signal Akron in its mission to bring accessible and community-focused news to all Akronites.

Kassi was born and raised in Central Ohio and is a photojournalism graduate of Kent State University. She was a staff member at the Southeast Missourian and the Hartford Courant before working in non-profit communications.

Kassi lives in Highland Square and enjoys local coffee shops, walking along trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hanging out with her dogs, cat and husband.