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Education Is Freedom: Frederick Douglas And Nikole Hanna Jones

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Knowledge Is Power Education Is Freedom In the timeless pursuit of freedom, humanity has used many tools and strategies in the hopes of achieving freedom. Looking back through historical works of important figures shows proof of this neverending need for freedom. Among all of the tools, one proves to be the best: education. Through historic examples from Frederick Douglass, and Nikole Hanna Jones, prove that education is the best tool for establishing freedom. To begin with, education is a crucial tool for establishing freedom. As stated by Frederick Douglass in his work “ What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” saying, “the manhood of the slave is conceded. It is admitted in the fact that southern statute books are covered with enactments …show more content…

This demonstrates that education empowers individuals and threatens oppressive systems, as it equips them with the knowledge and tools to assert their autonomy and pursue freedom. Another way education proves its seniority over other tools is by shining a light on the lies and false narratives that affect certain groups and their freedoms. As shown in Nikole Hanna-Jones “the 1619 project” when she states, “ I have been taught, in school, through cultural osmosis, that the flag wasn't really ours, that our history as a people began with enslavement and that we had contributed very little to this great nation”(Hanna-Jones). Jones emphasizes the importance of education in promoting freedom and addressing historical narratives that marginalize people's contributions to the nation. By understanding their history, the people can advocate for their rights and freedoms, leading to true liberation and equality. Lastly, opponents may argue that challenging hypocritical laws is a form of establishing freedom. For example, the content that the way to achieve freedom is by taking down former systems of oppression put into place in the past, quoting people like Ta-Nehasi Coates and his opening statement towards Congress leader Mitch McConnel saying, “We honor treaties that date back some 200 years ago despite no one being

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Obama continues her historical account as she describes the travail and bravery that a few people possessed that led them to afford educational opportunities for black people even when “Teachers received death threats.” (289). She evokes these historical events, not only to show the stark difference between the past and present with regards to educational opportunities for African Americans, but also demonstrate how the people who fought tirelessly so that they could gain an education did so because of they were aware of the value of education as it brings freedom and opportunity to those who have it. To bolster this assertion, Obama quotes Fredrick Douglas, “Freedom is Emancipation” (289) Obama details even further as she

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Stumbling Isn’t Falling Our lives and how we grew up has a lot to do with our identity. Where you came from, and your experiences have molded you into who you are today. Today you see many writers use their personal experiences to show portray the concept to the audience. In this essay we will explore personal experiences of both Malcom X in “A Homemade Education” and, “Learning to read and write” by Fredrick Douglas.

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“If there is no struggle there is no progress” this is a quote from Frederick Douglass. Frederick Douglas was born into slavery. Frederick worked at Talbot maryland. Frederick was 20 years old when he ran far away from his master. Mr douglas is an inspiration to many slaves.

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Besides the similarities in understanding the importance of freedom, Frederick Douglass and Nat Turner has a lot of differences in using education to escape from slavery and gain freedom. In fact, Frederick Douglass used education as a mental resistance. To him, freedom means freedom in his mind. Resisting the ignorance of his master Hugh Auld is a great illustrated for this point. Unlike other slaves in the Hugh’s plantation, Douglass enjoyed a limit freedom in the Hugh’s house.

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It will forever unfit him to be a slave” (Douglass 20). Without knowing Mr. Douglass’s master reveled to him the path to freedom. The southerners need every hand they can get for labor if it’s free the better. As previously mentioned slaveholders kept their slaves uneducated because they weren’t able to rebel or do better. Having an educated slave made then fit for higher non-labor

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Shantanu Jha When humanity is unable to atone for its sins, the innocent perish, while the living are left to suffer. In his elegy When the Towers Fell, Galway Kinnell laments the victims of the September 11th, 2001 attacks. In 2001, the world had just entered a new millennium; however, it was painfully reminded that the violence of humanity’s past would neither be forgiven nor forgotten. Through his captivating symbolic imagery, Kinnell is able to capture and emphasize the grief of the living, and the infectious nature of hate and war.

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The past is what unleashed the problems the critical race theory is causing. In order to prevent issues such as racism, gender inequalities, etc., the past must be able to be rationalized. Analyst of K-12 teachers’ speech protection, Lindsay Krebs, stated, “Conservative proponents purport that these laws protect objective, unbiased, and balanced teaching by preventing teachers from introducing concepts about racism,” (Krebs). Slavery and women's suffrage are controversial topics that are necessary to reiterate because there is no moving forward without getting uncomfortable. Working for the Administration of Education Programs, Joshua Gutzmann expresses, “Schools should prepare students for democratic life, noting that access to ideas makes it possible for citizens to exercise their rights of free speech and press in a meaningful manner, such access prepares students for active and effective participation in society in which they will soon be adult members,” (Gutzmann).

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From this, derives a bond with the reader that pushes their understanding of the evil nature of slavery that society deemed appropriate therefore enhancing their understanding of history. While only glossed over in most classroom settings of the twenty-first century, students often neglect the sad but true reality that the backbone of slavery, was the dehumanization of an entire race of people. To create a group of individuals known for their extreme oppression derived from slavery, required plantation owner’s of the South to constantly embedded certain values into the lives of their slaves. To talk back means to be whipped.

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Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world.” In the Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Douglass emphasizes on how masters seek to deprive their slaves of knowledge, in order to make it so that slaves cannot comprehend what it is to be free. Hugh Auld, one of Douglass’s old masters stop his wife from teaching Douglass to read and write, saying “Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world… if you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master.” (960) Douglass along with other slaves weren’t given the opportunity to be educated, so his goal was to be educated and to see all the opportunities he can have.

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If people are not utilizing education, then the world will become even more corrupt than it already is. Douglass and Malala both utilized their knowledge to be able to explain why they believed that the lack of education should be changed before it was too late for them to be able to persuade others. Thus, education should become a necessity for

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Human slavery requires ignorance, just as an individual’s freedom, from oppression, requires knowledge attained by education. To maintain order and control over slaves, slavery demands ignorant slaves; thus, keeping slaves ignorant prevents slaves from recognizing the empowering value of education and education’s ability to liberate slaves from the effects of ignorance. Frederick Douglass’s pursuit of education helped him discover the dark, hidden truths of slavery in his article, “How I Learned to Read and Write.” Thus, the pursuit of education inspires a desire for freedom. The desire to learn generates determination and motivation.

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An education often opens new doors for people, but how does a lack of an education affect other people? What causes such a stark difference between people with knowledge and people no knowledge at all? In the Narrative of Frederick Douglass an American Slave we can see that Douglass is more intelligent than the other slaves on the plantation he is living on due to his hidden ability to read. With his level of education, he is able to see the brutal mistreatment of slaves and is unable to look at things the same way when he was an uneducated slave. The slaves on the plantation do not know how to read and therefore do not view being a slave the way Douglass views it.

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Education gives hope for Douglass’s life since he began to truly understand what goes on in slavery. As he figured out more about the topic, his self- motivation poured out hope in his life. As Frederick saw an opportunity to become free, he worked hard to accomplish it. Masters and slaveholders believe teaching slaves is wrong, but with Douglass’s

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However, literacy turns out to be not only bliss, but also painful. Indeed, while learning to read Frederick becomes more and more aware of the injustices of slavery, and this leads him to regret this knowledge “Learning how to read had become a curse rather than a blessing” ( Douglass ) . Douglass believes in the importance of education. He thinks that education is a key part to our life; it is the only way to get freedom. Literacy is very powerful because it can set anyone free to pursue dreams.

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As it is today, if you’re not born into your wealth, the primary way for people to escape from poverty is through education. Slavery was causing extreme soil exhaustion, held blacks, the South, and the U.S. as a whole, from reaching its full potential. Slavery would never have become as powerful as it was, without the countless

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