What Is The Relationship Between Frederick Douglass And Education

Frederick Douglass was an American slave who wrote a novel in 1845 that exposed the terrible living conditions of slaves. John F. Kennedy, an American president gave a speech at Amherst University discussing the privilege that comes with power. During his speech, Kennedy stated, “Therefore, I am proud to come to this college, whose graduates have recognized this obligation and to say to those who are now here that the need is endless, and I am confident you will respond.”, he challenges the future generations, who are obligated to educate others because they are educated, to change the segregation in America. Before 1865, slaves were not encouraged to speak up for themselves, they were silenced and left in the shadows. People of color were
Sophia Ald taught Douglas to read, and he believed that would be the greatest gift but it turned out to be the biggest curse, he said “education and slavery are incompatible with each other.”(Douglass 22). The more Douglass learned, the more he hated slave owners. By robbing the slaves of an education the masters had full control over the slave's minds. Douglass hoped that in the future reading wasn’t a skill only granted to a few, but something universally known. Schools now teach of our mistakes throughout history in hopes of American’s not making the same ones. No one is robbed of the truth, but instead people are handed the evidence and get to make decisions for
Few people had any idea that the enslavement of other human beings was wrong. Kennedy said, “In pursuing his perceptions of reality he must often sail against the current of time” (Kennedy 1), and Douglass’ story is a prime example. After he began to learn to read, Douglass realized that the oppression going on around him was wrong, and he took a stand. His opinion wasn’t popular, and he had little support. A slave knowing how to write was unheard of, and a slave writing a book, exposing their masters, was even more absurd. Douglass’ bold actions inspired many in the same living conditions as him, and opened the rest of society eyes as to what it was really like to live as a slave. His hope for the future was that everyone would stand up for themselves, in the face of opposition, and use their voice to speak of the