Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (Barnes & Noble Classics) Paperback – August 1, 2005

Let's face it. Most of the history I read is written by white people. Some things need to be read in the "first person" and this is one of them. Not only is it a landmark book (not just for it's time but for all time), it is still easy to read, believable, compassionate to all (including slave owners) and completely gripping. It is not too brutally descriptive to be disturbing to any older kids or teens I know, and it is a patient, instructive and compelling story that I believe could still be a powerful, memorable and life changing read for anyone.Personal Note:I went to Maryland public schools in the 70's and early 80's. This was not on my required reading list. I wish it had been, but then maybe I would have hated it. The story of Frederick Douglas is to me overwhelming. The indictment of Southern Christianity is also particularly grievous. I do feel like I'm beginning to get a sense of the longtime North - South cultural divide as a matter of regional . . . religious . . . and economic ... pride.Misc Notes:1. Brer Rabbit - in the intro to my book - Robert O'Meally mentions Brer Rabbit and Disney's now banned (and well censored) in the USA "Song Of The South" movie (think "Zip-A-De-Do-Da") - I don't have any wisdom on this but Brer Rabbit is a vaguely forbidden character in our country, as is Bugs Bunny, who the writer indentifies as a modern day Brer Rabbit. I always liked Bugs Bunny, but you don't see these cartoons around. I have an older African American friend who asked me if I could find a copy of "Song of the South" which he had fond memories of watching in the movie theater as a kid. Well I couldn't . . .2. In my appendix, there is mention of pro slavery arguements of the 1840's. One is to the effect of "Slavery itself doesn't hurt slaves . . . its the abuse of slavery by slaveholders that hurts slaves." Hmmm, that sounds familiar . . .

I do not jest when I say that every American should read this book. It was equally sobering and inspiring, but should not be simply relegated to a reminder or a teaching tool. This is the story of a real man whose faith and determination allowed him the freedom to tell this story, and as a result we should be both grateful and careful. Grateful that we have such accounts through which to learn what we may not have been taught. And careful not to repeat a history so brutal as to deny the humanity of any other person.I cannot but marvel that such a man could recount an experience so horrific without turning to bitterness or resentment. Maybe he felt those things outside of this writing, but he does not even hint. His desire for this work to be helpful and beneficial to readers far surpasses my expectations and leads me only to a place of gratitude, to have been among his readers.

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a must read for all who want to study the history of Black people in America. This book was so important that I had to mention it in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass takes the reader through a journey of what it was like to be a slave in American society. Being an enslaved African-American meant a life of no future and no hope. Douglass details the experiences that he undergoes as he is “broken” by an overseer. This involves psychological warfare against Douglass and other slaves. It shows that slavery was more than just a physical enslavement, and that it included mental enslavement too. There are hundreds of slave narratives that were written. However, if you are only going to read one slave narrative, this is the one. In fact, this is by far the most widely read slave narrative. Without ruining the end, Douglass eventually learns how to read. Once he learns the basic aspects of reading, he does anything within his power to try to learn how to read further. Is this intellectual freedom that eventually drives him to free himself physically. Frederick Douglass became the preeminent black leader of his day. His story is indeed moving. Like his book, I also discuss slavery at length in my book The Real Wakandas of Africa. Slavery took tens of millions of the sons and daughters of Africa from her shores. I also discuss colonialism at length and connect these two errors of slavery and colonialism. However, unlike other books, I also detail the beautiful history of African civilizations before slavery and before colonialism. Referencing more than 200 sources, I discuss the fact that Africans build the tallest building in the world. This building stood for more than 4000 years as the tallest building. I also discuss the fact that Africans charted star systems that were not discovered by Europeans or Americans until the 1990s. In the sphere of medical advancement, Africans did surgery on the eye to remove cataracts 700 years ago. They performed cesarean sections with antiseptics several hundred years before it was done in Europe or America. To add to this, Africans who were enslaved brought the concept of inoculation against smallpox to the United States of America. They also smelted carbon steel 2000 years before it was done in Europe or America. Africans built a wall that is one of the most magnificent structures on the planet. I wrote a book about this called: The Great Wall of Africa: The Empire of Benin’s 10,000 Mile Long Wall. It is stories like these that are often missing from Black history. Indeed, Frederick Douglass has written a book that is a must read for all who want to learn about slavery in America. Pick up a copy of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass today!!!

This short narrative, written in 1845, was Frederick Douglass’ first book. A short read, you get a taste of the horrors of slavery and the culture of the antebellum United States. His later books are better reads and give a more fulsome discussion of his life - but it is this book that began his public advocacy for abolition. A must read for the scholar, historian or advocate.