Ar'n't I a Woman?

as Recorded by Frances Gage

"Well. chilern. Whar dar is so much racket dar must be something out o' kilter.  I tink dat 'twixt de niggers of de Souf and de women at de Norf all a talkin' 'bout rights, de white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all dis here talkin' 'bout?  Date man ober dar say dat women needs to be helped into carriages, and lifted ober ditches, and to have de best place every whar. Nobody eber help me into carriages or ober mud puddles, or gives me any best place [and raising herself to her full height and her voice to a pitch like rolling thunder, she asked], and Ar'n't' I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! [And she bared her right arm to the shoulder, showing her tremendous muscular power.]  I have plowed. and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me--and ar'n't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man (when I could get it), and bear de lash as well--and ar'n't I a woman? I have borne thirteen chilern and seen 'em mos' all sold off into slavery, and when I cried out with a mother's grief, none but Jesus heart-and ar'n't I a woman?  Den dey talks 'bout dis ting in de head--what dis dey call it?"  “Intellect,” whispered some one near. “Dat's it honey. What's it got to do with women's rights or niggers' rights? If my cup won't hold but a pint and yourn holds a quart, would n't ye be mean not to let me have my little half-measure full?”  And she pointed her significant finger and sent a keen glance at the minister who had made the argument. The cheering was long and loud.

"Den dat little man in black dar, he say women can't have as much rights as man, cause Christ want a woman. Whar did your Christ come from?”  Rolling thunder could not have stilled that crowd as did those deep, wonderful tones, as she stood there with outstretched arms and eye of fire.  Raising her voice still louder, she repeated,  “Whar did your Christ come from? From God and a woman. Man had nothing to do with him.”

Turning again to another objector, she took up the defense of mother Eve.  I cannot follow her through it all.  It was pointed, and witty, and solemn, eliciting at almost every sentence deafening applause, and she ended by asserting that “if de fust woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down, all ‘lone, dese togedeer [and she glanced her eye over us] ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again, and now dey is asking to do it, de men better let em.”  Long, continued cheering.  “ ‘Bleeged to yo for hearin’ on me, and now ole Sojourner ha’n’t got nothing more to say.”