In celebration of Black History Month, Google has created a Google Doodle highlighting Sojourner Truth, an advocate for justice and equality in the U.S. during the 19th century.
The doodle on Google’s homepage isn’t the only place you’ll see Truth. The U.S. Treasury announced that she’ll appear on the $10 bill along with other suffragists next year to mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Truth was born into slavery in 1797 as Isabella Baumfree. After later winning her freedom, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth. After meeting Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, she began to publicly speak out about the evils of slavery. She went on to publish a memoir about her experiences in 1850, and was invited to visit with Abraham Lincoln at the White House.
At one point, Truth sued for the freedom of her 5-year-old son Peter, whom was sold by her former slavemaster. The Google Doodle, by Philadelphia-based guest artist Loveis Wise, references that particular court battle (the courthouse is in the distance), which she won, making her one of the first black women to successfully sue a white man.
