There is a great stir about colored men getting their rights, but not a word about the colored women; and if colored men get their rights, and not colored women theirs, you see, the colored men will be masters over the women, and it will be just as bad as it was before.

The quote by Sojourner Truth addresses the intersection of race and gender within the context of the civil rights movement. Sojourner Truth, a former enslaved African woman and a prominent abolitionist and women's rights activist, points out the discrepancy between the fight for rights for colored men and the lack of attention given to the rights of colored women. She highlights that while much focus was placed on ensuring that men of color gained equality, the struggles of colored women were often overlooked.

By saying, "if colored men get their rights, and not colored women theirs," Truth is calling attention to the potential consequences of a movement that seeks to uplift one group at the expense of another. She argues that if colored men gain their freedom and rights, but colored women remain oppressed, it would merely replace one form of oppression with another. Instead of achieving true equality, women of color would be subjected to domination by men, thus perpetuating the same power imbalances and injustices that they were fighting against.

Sojourner Truth’s insight connects the struggles for racial and gender equality, emphasizing that true liberation can only be achieved when both racial and gender-based oppressions are eradicated. Her words remind us that the fight for freedom cannot be selective—it must include the voices and rights of all people, regardless of gender or race.

Sojourner Truth delivered this powerful message during a time when both the abolitionist movement and the women's rights movement were gaining momentum. She is known for her speech "Ain't I a Woman?", where she also spoke about the intersection of race and gender, and the need for equality for both African Americans and women. This quote exemplifies her commitment to advocating for the rights and empowerment of colored women, making her an important figure in the history of civil rights and feminism.