The State of New York is planning to build two statues to honor suffragists Sojourner Truth and Rosalie Gardiner Jones.
The statue of Sojourner Truth will be sited on the Empire State Trail in Ulster County, where she was born. Truth was born into slavery circa 1797, sold three times, and ultimately escaped to freedom in 1826. She went on to became a noted abolitionist and women’s rights advocate until her death in 1883.
The statue of Rosalie Gardiner Jones will be built in Cold Spring Harbor State Park on Long Island. Known as “General Jones,” she was born and lived in Cold Spring Harbor and was respected for leading suffrage “pilgrims” on marches from New York City to Albany and Washington, DC in support of women’s suffrage.
There are currently 25 statues on New York State property, including only two women: Dr. Mary Walker, a civil war surgeon, in Oswego; and frontierswoman Mary Jemison in Letchworth State Park. With the addition of the new statues of Truth and Jones, the total number of statues of women on New York State property will double to four.
January is Hot Tea Month. Celebrate by making and serving “Votes for Women” fortune cookies.