What does this holiday have to do with books? Well, it’s actually quite significant! Written texts played a crucial role in reinforcing the belief that slavery was wrong and needed to be abolished. In response to the growing movement against slavery, laws were enacted to restrict literacy, particularly for enslaved individuals. These laws made it illegal for any Black person, whether free or enslaved, to be taught how to read or write.
Slave owners viewed literacy as a dangerous threat to the institution of slavery and their financial interests. They feared that if enslaved individuals gained the ability to read, it could lead to uprisings and rebellions. Literacy would enable them to access abolitionist writings, learn about successful slave revolts in the Caribbean and the Underground Railroad, communicate with each other, share ideas, discover their rich history, appreciate the value of their work and innovative minds, and understand that the Emancipation Proclamation had already declared their freedom three years prior.
Moreover, Black literacy directly challenged a major justification for slavery—the notion that Black people were inherently inferior, intellectually incapable, and permanently illiterate. By proving that African Americans could be educated, it undermined the very logic of the slavery system.
Despite the restrictions, many African Americans were resourceful and determined to learn how to read and write. They recognized that literacy was essential for acquiring knowledge, attaining freedom, and gaining personal empowerment. In fact, Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist, first encountered the transformative power of freedom through reading, describing it as “the silver trumpet of freedom.” He, like many others, understood that knowledge was the pathway from slavery to liberation.
