“ They came because they wished to learn. Their minds had been starved by their cruel masters. They had been shut up in mental darkness. ”
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845). copy citation
| Author | Frederick Douglass |
|---|---|
| Source | Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave |
| Topic | slavery education |
| Date | 1845 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm |
Context
“These dear souls came not to Sabbath school because it was popular to do so, nor did I teach them because it was reputable to be thus engaged. Every moment they spent in that school, they were liable to be taken up, and given thirty-nine lashes. They came because they wished to learn. Their minds had been starved by their cruel masters. They had been shut up in mental darkness. I taught them, because it was the delight of my soul to be doing something that looked like bettering the condition of my race. I kept up my school nearly the whole year I lived with Mr. Freeland; and, beside my Sabbath school, I devoted three evenings in the week, during the winter, to teaching the slaves at home.”
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