The Little Man in Black Character Analysis

At one point in her speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” abolitionist and feminist activist Sojourner Truth makes reference to “that little man in black there”—a man who claims that “women can’t have as much rights as men, ‘cause Christ wasn’t a woman.” The man whom Truth is referring to is likely a clergyman, given that reverends, priests, and other Christian clergymen traditionally wear black garments. It’s likely that Truth isn’t talking about a particular “little man in black” but is instead referring to all the clergymen who use religious doctrine as an excuse to subjugate and sideline women of all races throughout the United States. Sojourner Truth’s contempt for people who sought to transform Christian doctrine into a weapon against women seeking equality is clear from her reference to the smallness of these men. She isn’t speaking of their physical stature, but rather the smallness of their minds and hearts as they seek to malign and discredit the movement for women’s equality.