Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza

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37 N High St
Akron, OH 44308

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Located at the site of Truth’s 1851 speech to the Ohio Woman’s Convention, the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza was designed by Dion Harris, landscape designer for Summit Metro Parks, and features a floral motif inspired by Truth’s family roots in Ghana. At the center stands a life-size bronze sculpture of Sojourner Truth by nationally renowned Akron artist Woodrow Nash. Additional architectural work was provided by GPD Group and construction was done by the Ruhlin Company. The Plaza opened officially on May 29, 2024 – the 173rd anniversary of Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech. Additional artworks for the plaza were created by Derin Fletcher and Alexandria Couch.

The story of the Sojourner Truth Legacy Plaza began more than twenty years ago, when University of Akron professor emeritus Faye Hersh Dambrot proposed the creation of a statue of Truth and renowned local artist Woodrow Nash first developed a prototype. But without sufficient funding, the project was put on hold.

In 2019, the Summit Suffrage Centennial Committee, convened by Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of women’s suffrage, revived the project. Working with Woodrow Nash and a new coalition of partners – including United Way of Summit & Medina, which provided the site for the project – the Committee brought the new landmark, more than two decades in the making, to life.