>> AS WE HIGHLIGHT BLACK HISTORY MONTH, WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE
LIFE OF SOJOURNER TRUTH, AN ENSLAVED AFRICAN AMERICAN
EVANGELIST, ABOLITIONIST, WOMEN'S RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND
AUTHOR WHO LIVED FOR A SHORT TIME IN FLORENCE, MASSACHUSETTS.
HER STORY IS TOLD AS PART OF A WALKING TOUR HELD EACH YEAR IN
THAT TOWN ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
DAY.
THIS YEAR'S WALK HAD TO BE CANCELED DUE TO THE COLD
TEMPERATURES, BUT CONNECTING POINT PRODUCER DAVE FRASER
SHARES HER STORY WITH US TONIGHT.
♪ >> SHE HAD A GIFT.
SHE HAD A GIFT FOR SPEECH AND SHE HAD A GIFT FOR SINGING AND
SHE USED THAT GIFT LIKE WE KNOW PEOPLE TODAY WHO HAVE THAT GIFT.
SHE BECAME A PUBLIC SPEAKER AND THAT WHOLE PART OF HER LIFE
REALLY STARTED HERE IN FLORENCE.
SHE, OF COURSE, WAS FIGHTING AGAINST SLAVERY BUT SHE GOT SO
MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT HERE AND SHE WAS ASKED TO SPEAK AT WORCESTER
SHE WAS AT ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN'S RIGHT CONVENTIONS IN OUR
COUNTRY AND SHE WAS ASKED TO SPEAK IN NEW YORK STATE AND
SLOWLY BUT SURELY SHE WAS ASKED TO SPEAK ALL OVER WHAT WAS OUR
COUNTRY AT THAT TIME.
>> WELL, THE WALK THAT WE HAVE EVERY YEAR IS FOR THE MARTIN
LUTHER KING DAY CELEBRATION THAT WAS STARTED BY THE AMERICAN
FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE.
WELL, MOST OF THEM WERE SURPRISED THAT THIS HISTORY
STARTED IN THIS COUNTRY AND SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE ABOLITIONIST
MOVEMENT, FRIENDS OF SOJOURNER.
WILLIAM DOUGLAS, LYDIA MARIAH CHILD -- THESE ARE PROMINENT
FIGURES IN THE ABOLITION MOVEMENT AND FOR SOME REASON
THEY MADE IT HERE TO THIS LITTLE VILLAGE OF FLORENCE.
SAMUEL L. HILL WHOSE HOUSE IS ON THE TOUR WHICH WAS A STATION ON
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD WHAT HE DID WAS ESTABLISHED THE
INDUSTRIAL VILLAGE OF FLORENCE.
THEY ALLOWED SINGER SEWING MACHINES NOT JUMES AS MUCH AS IT
DO.
ONE OF THE VERY EARLIEST PLASTICS WAS INVENTED IN
FLORENCE AND PEOPLE AROUND THE VALLEY ALL KNOW ABOUT PROBRUSH
COMPANY AND THOSE BRUSHES WERE MADE OF THIS FLORENCE EARLY
PLASTIC IN THE OLD DAYS.
AND THEN WE ALSO IN FEBRUARY CELEBRATE THE DEATH DAY OF BASEL
DORSEY WHO IS FLORENCE'S LONGEST TENURED FORMER SLAVE.
WE HAVE TAKEN ON AS THE DAVID RUGGLES CENTER AND THE SOJOURNER
TRUTH CENTER TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY CAME HERE.
IT REALLY BEGAN DOWN FROM THE RIVER.
WE'RE UP THE HILL AS TAX REFORM AND UNDER THE HILL WHERE HOMES
OF PLATFORM SLAVES WHO WORKED IN THE MILLS THERE.
BY 1850, FLORENCE WAS 10% AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
>> SOJOURNER WALKED THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
HER HOUSE IS A BLOCK AND A HALF AWAY FROM HERE AND SHE OWNED A
HOUSE AND FOR A WOMAN WHO WAS BORN A SLAVE WHICH MEANS HER
DIET WAS PROBABLY PRETTY BAD, SHE WAS VERY STRONG.
SHE DID A LOT OF WORK AS AN ENSLAVED PERSON SO WHEN I MOVED
BACK HERE AND FOUND OUT ABOUT THE STATUE WAS JUST FINISHING I
WAS HONORED TO BE IN THE EARLY PART OF THE WOMEN'S HISTORY AND
THE EARLY HISTORY OF TRYING TO END SLAVERY IN OUR COUNTRY.
THE STATUTEU WAS DEDICATED AND PUT UP IN 2002.
IT'S THE WHOLE EFFORT TO PUT A STATUE UP HERE IN FLORENCE
STARTED IN ABOUT 1993 RIGHT AFTER THE RODNEY KING INCIDENT
IN LOS ANGELES.
OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY WANTED TO DO -- MAKE SOME KIND OF SYMBOLIC
STATEMENT ABOUT THEIR EXTREME DISLIKE OF RACISM IN OUR CULTURE
AND IN OUR COUNTRY.
>> MOST KIDS WHO GREW UP HERE IN FLORENCE AND IN NORTHAMPTON
DIDN'T HEAR ANY OF THIS HISTORY.
IT WASN'T TAUGHT.
SO YOU HAVE A BIG HOLE TO FILL AND FILLING IT IS A JOYOUS
PROCESS.