U.S. Navy Ship Christened Sojourner Truth

On April 26, 2025, the U.S. Navy christened the USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), a fleet replenishment oiler, in honor of Sojourner Truth, a 19th-century civil rights activist who tirelessly advocated for the liberation of her people, especially Black women. This ship is part of the John Lewis class of oilers, which are named after civil rights leaders. The USNS Sojourner Truth was christened on April 26, 2025, at General Dynamics NASSCO's San Diego shipyard. 

At the ceremony where Truth's sixth great-granddaughter, Barbara Allen spoke and broke the traditional bottle of champagne on its hull before the ship sailed. 

It was a very nice ceremony. Barbara Allen's comments were good. I wish I'd seen representative Black people in the leadership. There were no Black people except a Black man who held the microphone for Barbara as she broke the bottle. Also, given the fact that Truth was an advocate of temperance, I thought it would have been a nice gesture to use a nonalcoholic beverage like sparkling cider. She could have drank a glass of cider. 

Lastly, given the fact that Truth advocated Black settlement in the West, it is fitting a ship named in her honor sails from San Diego on the 250th anniversary of the US Navy. I wonder if any of the shipbuilders were women. We have a rich military shipyard history with Kaiser here in the Bay Area.

Sojourner was the name given to the first Planetary Rover on Mars July 4, 1997. There was a US Stamp issued in its honor.

NASA hosted a contest and the winning nomination was Sojourner for Sojourner Truth. 

Truth's legacy is one that continues. She continues to inspire amazing work. Ase!

https://www.nasa.gov/history/25-years-ago-mars-pathfinder-launches-to-mars-to-deploy-sojourner-the-first-planetary-rover/#:~:text=NASA%20chose%20to%20name%20the,JPL%20and%20The%20Planetary%20Society.