Reading in order to Hear: Accented Transcriptions and Compulsory Racialization in Reading “Ain’t I a Woman?”

Abstract

This essay explores the complexities and challenges of reading, hearing, and comprehending transcripts that feature “nonstandard” speech, particularly through the use of descriptive markers that convey the speaker’s accent. While scholars have critiqued biases in transcriptions, there has been relatively little focus on how readers engage with these texts. I focus on Sojourner Truth’s speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?”, delivered in 1851, which has become one of the most notable public addresses in U.S. history. Interestingly, its most recognized transcript showcases Truth’s English as influenced by her Dutch accent and Southern dialect. In theorizing the reader’s experience prompted by this transcript—especially for individuals who themselves speak “nonstandard” English—I investigate the entrenched mechanisms of racialization and Othering that emerge as readers navigate unfamiliar vocabulary and contextual framing. I argue that the text encourages readers to actively engage with racializing practices that reflect colonial, white, middle-upper-class societal values, discriminating against those who do not adhere to a “standard” mode of speech. Yet, through self-reflection, readers gain insights into oppressive power structures. I conclude by urging scholars and activists to refrain from proposing “fixes” to the text and instead to follow the examined reading experience, meta-framing the speech to foster critical readings.