Named in honor of the life and legacy of the 19th-century African American abolitionist and suffragist, Sojourner Truth State Park in the Hudson Valley is one of the newest acquisitions to the New York state park and historic site system. First announced in 2022, the park reclaims more than 500 acres of Hudson River shoreline land shared by the City of Kingston and the Town of Ulster. It opened to the public the following year.

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Baumfree (also known as Bomefree) in 1797, enslaved among Dutch people in Ulster County. A dynamic human rights advocate, she “walked away by day-light,” freeing herself from slavery one year before legal enslavement ended in New York. Her accomplishments and vital contributions to American history are recognized not only with the park’s naming, but also with the installation of a bronze statue at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, created by sculptor Vinnie Bagwell.

Governor Hochul designated November 26 as Sojourner Truth Day in New York State last year, and we can’t wait to share our plans to celebrate this trailblazing New Yorker with you.  

Celebrate Sojourner Truth Day

Sojourner Truth State Park will celebrate its first Sojourner Truth Day with a food drive and guided hike on Saturday, November 22, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Donations will be collected on behalf of the Kingston Community Action Food Pantry.

For anyone interested in donating non-perishable food items but unable to attend the event, collection bins will be available at the park from Nov. 7 to Nov. 22.

“Sojourner Truth State Park is a beacon of access, historical truth, and equity, and this hike and food drive celebrating the park’s trailblazing namesake is just the beginning of incredible events and programming to come,” said New York State Parks’ Acting Commissioner Kathy Moser. “From the Steep Rocks Overlook where the hike will take place, participants can take in spectacular vistas of the Hudson Valley while learning about Sojourner Truth’s life and work.”

The elevation of Truth’s story is a key example of State Parks’ Our Whole History initiative, which tells the stories of ordinary and extraordinary New Yorkers who have been left out of the historical narrative in the past.

The park also advances New York State’s commitment to invest in disadvantaged communities. Nearly 50,000 people in racially and ethnically diverse communities live within five miles of Sojourner Truth State Park. About half the site is in a Low to Moderate Income area as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and 17.9 percent of the people in the location’s zip code are below the census-defined poverty level.

“We are proud to honor Sojourner Truth Day with the park’s hike and food drive ahead of Thanksgiving,” said Park Manager Jef Litwinowicz. “The food drive seemed especially timely given the uncertainty community members who navigate food insecurity are currently facing. If you have the means, we are grateful to anyone who can donate whatever non-perishables you can between November 7th and the 22nd.”

ICYMI: Plans for Sojourner Truth State Park

In July, State Parks and the Palisades Interstate Parks Conservancy broke ground on major elements of Sojourner Truth State Park, including a new swimming facility and bathhouse pavilion. Funded in part by the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, other highlights slated to be completed by summer of 2026 include a new park entrance, entry road, trails and restrooms, and staff maintenance and administrative buildings.

There’s more underway at Sojourner Truth State Park. A network of trails, including one with a scenic overlook destination, is being constructed. A former industrial area is being transformed into an outdoor community event space, complete with restrooms. Throughout the park, interpretive installations on the area’s Indigenous Lenape heritage, industrial history, geology and natural environment will connect visitors to the past. The project, slated for 2027 completion, was designed to be accessible to most patrons and to have a natural feeling. The work being done to create the park will re-establish native ecosystems while providing a local destination for affordable recreation and connection with the outdoors.

Learn More About Abolitionist and Suffragist Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth became one of the leading voices for human rights and universal suffrage in the 19th century. “Her life as an itinerant preacher working on behalf of the enslaved, newly freed, and women, especially Black women, left a legacy that has kept her in the public consciousness,” said Lavada Nahon, Interpreter of African American History for the agency’s Bureau of Historic Sites, in her in-depth piece on Sojourner Truth’s incredible life and legacy in 2020.

“Sojourner Truth’s life reflected her deep and abiding belief that justice for all would someday come.  The shadow of her legacy is deep and abiding, and reflects a journey toward equality that she knew would continue,” Nahon reflected.

— Written by Lacey Seidman, Deputy Public Information Officer