▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁with ▁proceed s ▁from ▁sales ▁of ▁the ▁narr ative ▁and ▁cart es - de - vis ite ▁ca ption ed , ▁" I ▁sell ▁the ▁shadow ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁subst ance ", ▁she ▁paid ▁off ▁the ▁mort g age ▁held ▁by ▁her ▁friend ▁from ▁the ▁community , ▁Samuel ▁L . ▁Hill . ▁ ▁" A in ' t ▁I ▁a ▁Woman ?" ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁Tr uth ▁joined ▁George ▁Thompson , ▁an ▁abol ition ist ▁and ▁speaker , ▁on ▁a ▁lecture ▁tour ▁through ▁central ▁and ▁western ▁New ▁York ▁State . ▁In ▁May , ▁she ▁attended ▁the ▁Ohio ▁Women ' s ▁Rights ▁Convention ▁in ▁Ak ron , ▁Ohio , ▁where ▁she ▁delivered ▁her ▁famous ▁ext empor aneous ▁speech ▁on ▁women ' s ▁rights , ▁later ▁known ▁as ▁" A in ' t ▁I ▁a ▁Woman ? ". ▁Her ▁speech ▁demanded ▁equal ▁human ▁rights ▁for ▁all ▁women ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁for ▁all ▁black s . ▁Adv oc ating ▁for ▁women ▁and ▁African ▁Americans ▁was ▁dangerous ▁and ▁challeng ing ▁enough , ▁but ▁being ▁one ▁and ▁doing ▁so ▁was ▁far ▁more ▁difficult . ▁The ▁press ures ▁and ▁sever ity ▁of ▁her ▁speech ▁did ▁not ▁get ▁to ▁Tr uth , ▁however . ▁Tr uth ▁took ▁to ▁the ▁stage ▁with ▁a ▁demand ing ▁and ▁composed ▁presence . ▁A udi ence ▁members ▁were ▁b aff led ▁by ▁the ▁way ▁she ▁carried ▁herself ▁and ▁were ▁hes it ant ▁to ▁believe ▁ ▁that ▁she ▁was ▁even ▁a ▁woman , ▁prompt ing