The Library is named in honor of Sojourner Truth.  Enslaved, from childhood, in New York's Hudson River Valley, when her slave owner renegged on the freedom promised her in 1826, she decided she would have to free herself; taking refuge and retaking her life in New Paltz.

Learn more about Sojourner Truth and follow her "she-roic" walk from enslavement to freedom on the Library's website. The photo above is dated circa 1870.

Broadcasting this event on THE JANUS ADAMS SHOW meant editing out 20 minutes.  Here’s the uncut hour.

The Sojourner Truth mural ​pictured above graces the library's main staircase.  It was painted in 1995 by Rikki Asher, a former SUNY New Paltz Art Education instructor,  and thirteen graduate students.

Learn more about the mural in The Oracle, the campus' student newspaper.


On last week's show, we aired Janus' Distinguished Speaker Series lecture before a live audience at the State University of New York at New Paltz entitled, "KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE THE PLANTATION." 

This week, a followup.  The day after the speech, members of the campus community answered an open invitation from  W. Mark Colvson—Dean of the Sojourner Truth Library—to join him, Veronica Claypool Butler (Board Member, Historic Huguenot Street), and me for a mid-day chat.  Some in the audience had heard the speech; others had not.  All were welcome to open their hearts and speak their minds.  It turned out to be a riveting open-mike. 

​​Here's what makes this show special:  

  • There's no agenda, as Mark Colvson says in his welcome.  
  • The occasion for the event was a chance to join Colvson and me for an informal chat inspired by my speech the night before.  However, what people chose to speak about was solely up to the speaker.
  • All who joined the roundtable were free to ask a question, make a statement, or comment on any topic of interest to them.  There's the mike.  Step up!

​​Tags: SUNY New Paltz, The Sojourner Truth Library, Distinguished Speaker Series, W. Mark Colvson, Veronica Claypool Butler, Historic Huguenot Street, roundtable, open mike, WJFF 

LIVE FROM THE SOJOURNER TRUTH LIBRARY

Hear the full show: 

© Janus Adams LLC 2023

Web extras: