WITH his incisive observations, he has been described as “poetically unfiltered and sociopolitically introspective, with an ability to illuminate and interrogate agonizing and poignant topics.”I started reading the Narrative of Frederick Douglas last weekend, not because of February being Black History Month, but because of what the multi-award winning comedian Dave Chapelle replied in answer to a question from the audience during one of his performances. (Yes, I was having a Netflix binge.) Dave is considered amongst his peers as one of the best stand up comedians in the business. 

Wikipedia:With his incisive observations, he has been described as “poetically unfiltered and sociopolitically introspective, with an ability to illuminate and interrogate agonizing and poignant topics.” In other words, he is on point.

Rolling Stone has ranked him No. 9 in their “50 Best Stand Up Comics of All Time.”

Anyway, an audience member asked him what his favorite book of all time was.   Without missing a beat, he replied, “The Narrative of Frederick Douglas.” I knew about Frederick Douglas, but not intimately. I wanted to know what Dave knew, so I pulled out my Kindle, downloaded and began to learn about the life of this American slave–in his own words.

At my present location, page 958, I have been overwhelmed by several things.

One of the enslaver’s caught his wife–a kindly woman, (initially), teaching the child Frederick how to read. Her husband forbade it immediately, saying “..if you teach him how to read…he will become unmanageable and of no value to his master…” At that  point the child Frederick knew that his only way to escape slavery and find his way to freedom was to learn how to read. Teaching himself with the bit of foundation he’d received, that’s what he did. I parallel this to all the years black people have been denied the right to vote, even in this last election. And the repulsive lengths taken in some states–including removing voting boxes. 

Another is how the enslaved, these innocent people were starved and savagely whipped with cowhide until their skin shred; th, the Master would go have lunch and then return to whip again the torn, raw and bleeding shreds of remaining skin.

I ask myself: how can a human be so cruel? I mean, how???

In any event, this magnificent man did indeed escape and went on to become a statesman, orator, champion for the abolitionist cause, women’s rights, peace, education and equality for all people, regardless of skin color. Asked by an African American how to survive in the world, Mr Douglas relied, “Agitate! Agitate!” Sounds like, “Good Trouble” to me. The history of it all.

As daddy would say, “Ain’t no givin up and no givin’ out.”

Courage…What we are capable of achieving!

Mr Douglas wrote the Narrative in 1845. It’s not too late to read it.