The Importance of Being Literate

The Importance of Being Literate

      During the times of racial slavery in America, White society prevented African- American people from achieving their intellectual potential.   The slaveholders were apprehensive that their slaves would become equivalent or superior to them, and therefore would be capable of outwitting them. Most slaves unhappily accepted the abuse. However, some audacious slaves risked their lives to resist these immoral inequalities of the 1800’s. One slave in particular, Fredrick Douglass, intentionally chose to disobey his masters by,” burying his nose in any piece of literature he could come across,” (pg. 267). Therefore, he struggled to educate himself and rise above the social injustices of the time.
It is ironic that the woman who encouraged Fredrick Douglass to learn to read and write was his master’s wife. Douglass’ master was a cruel man who believed that brutality and punishment were acceptable and appropriate treatment for black slaves.   However, his wife forcefully convinced Douglass that in order to “escape to freedom”(pg. 263), he needed to become educated. When Mr. Auld discovered what was going on, “he forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct [Fredrick Douglass] further, telling her that it was unlawful as well as unsafe to teach a slave to read.” (pg. 266)   Clearly, his master feared that Douglass would no longer obey him and follow his rules that treated him as a second-class citizen. This is when Douglass realized that the only “pathway from slavery to freedom” (pg. 266) was through literacy, no matter how hard it was to attain. The ability to read and write permitted him to understand that the wrongs that African-American people faced daily were not acceptable or just.   It helped him to find the personal fortitude to challenge the law and ensure that black people’s rights and freedoms were written into law. His quest for education came at a huge risk for his personal safety. If a white man suspected him of “having a book,”(pg....