Democratic Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, herself a rape victim, paraphrased the question of rights activist Sojourner Truth, a 19th century escaped slave and civil rights advocate.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Larry Bittner, a lawyer who campaigned with Mrs Rathbun, said she had the strength of purpose of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, two former slaves who became prominent in 19th-century reformist movements in America.

ECONOMIST: Mary Jane Rathbun | The

Du Bois, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman.

NPR: Scholar Helps Black Americans Trace Family Roots