I write this to you not in fear, or in hatred, but in hope. Hope for the future, hope for us. Hope given to me by none other than William Lloyd Garrison. A white man, I know, but one who holds our beliefs at heart. I listened to him in the Broadway Tabernacle, as he spoke words that fervently resonated with my soul, ideas that I thought were incapable of being expressed by this kind of person in this day and age. I highly encourage you all to familiarize yourselves with Garrison’s moving words. When I heard them, a feeling came upon me, a feeling I thought I would never feel: empowerment. I felt strong, happy, free. This is the feeling I hope to convey to you in this message. He started off with a promise. Not a direct one, but one that gave me a sense of hope for the future. There he was, a white man, stating that his convictions towards black discrimination will not falter, and that he believed in his heart of hearts that …show more content…
I had so little hope that to me it seemed as if even the one we worshipped viewed us as lesser beings. As we were in a church, it seemed only appropriate that comments about God were made. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for what Garrison said. He instilled new hope in us, in the form of the religion we practice and the God we worship. Not only did he state that his abolitionism was identical to God’s law, but he defied all social norms and directly went after churches, repeating that the ones who advocate for slavery are atheistical, and Christians who believe that one man may be enslaved by another are believers of the devil. I was awed. We all were. I quickly renounced all my previous personal connection to the possibility of atheism and my faith was fast renewed. It was as if I was a child again, learning about the Bible from my parents in secrecy. A similar sense of wonderment and learning came upon me, it was like I had been baptised once