EmmaLoomes

January26,2016
TheKeytoChange

Educationmeansemancipation.Itmeanslightandliberty.Itmeanstheuplifting
ofthesoulofmanintothegloriouslightoftruth,thelightbywhichmencanonlybe
madefree.FrederickDouglassoncesaid.FrederickDouglasswasaformerslavewho
becamealeaderintheabolitionistmovement.Hetaughthimselfhowtoreadandwrite,
whichledtotherealizationthattherewasmoretolifethenslavery.Becauseofthis
exposure,hewasdeterminedtomakeanimpactontheworld.Educationisthecatalyst
changebecausewitheducationcomesenlightenment,unity,andfreedom.
ThroughoutFredericksnarrativeheshowsthatwitheducationcomes
enlightenment,andwiththatenlightenmentcomeschange.Inhisnarrative,Frederick
Douglassrecountsaboutwhenhesawhisearlymasteryellathiswifeforteaching
Frederick.Thatwasthemomentwhenherealizedthatignorancewasaslavemasters
toolofcontrollingthemandthatbecomingeducatedwouldbreakthatcycle.Oneof
FrederickDouglassfirstbooksthathereadwasTheColumbianOrator;thisbook
showedhimtheinjusticeofslavery.Ittaughthimthatevenslavesdeservedtobetreated
withbasichumanrights.Frederickrealizedthattheabilitytounderstandtheinjustices
aroundhimopenedmyeyestothehorriblepit,buttonoladderuponwhichtogetout.
(54)Thiswasbecausehebecameawareofhowbadslaverywasbutthatawarenesshad
notgivenhimanabilitytoescapeyet.Educationnotonlybringsenlightenmentbutitalso
unitespeople.

FrederickDouglassshowshoweducationunitespeople,eveninthemostunlikely
situations,andthisunityhelpspursuechange.BeforeMrs.Auldhadtostopteaching
Frederick,theyhadaverystrongandunlikelyrelationshipsincehewasherhusbands
slave.Sheintroducedhimtoeducation,whichmadehimalwaysviewherwithpositivity
despitehertreatinghimsopoorlyafterwards.Duringhistimeatoneofhisothermasters
house,hewouldexchangebreadtotheneighborhoodboysinexchangeforhelpwith
education.Thegroupofthemdevelopedastrongbondinwhichthewhiteboyssupported
Fredericksbeliefsonslavery.Lateroninthenarrative,FrederickDouglasstaughtfellow
slaveseducationsecretively,wheretheycreatedastronguniquebond,Ineverlovedany
orconfidedinanypeoplemorethanmyfellowslaves,andIbelievewewouldhavedied
foreachother.(91)Eventuallyacoupleofthoseslavesjoinedhiminrunningawayfrom
theplantation.Similarlytounity,educationbringsfreedomandthatfreedomallows
peopletotheabilitytomakechange.
WhenFrederickDouglassbeganeducatinghimselfitputhimonthepathof
becomingfree.InhisDouglassnarrativehewriteshow,Onceyoulearntoread,you
willbeforeverfree.Thisisbecauseeducationallowsyoutoimproveyourselfand
becomestronger.Also,inFrederickDouglasscase,whenhebeganeducatinghimselfhe
nolongerwasmentallyaslavebecausehefinallyhadasenseofhumanity.Hefreed
himselfofthesystemthatintentionallykeptslavesignorant.Sothenherealizedthat
injusticesofslaveryitgavehimstrengthanddeterminationtomakechange.Frederick
Douglassusedthatstrengthtofindawaytophysicallyescapeslavery.Thefreedomthat

educationbringsuponpeople,allowsthemtohavethepowertomakechangesin
themselvesandaroundthem.
InTheNarrativeofFrederickDouglass,heprovesthateducationisthecatalystto
changebecauseitbringsawareness,unityandfreedom.FrederickDouglassbrought
awarenesstohimselfandothersthattherewasmoretotheirlifethanslavery.The
educationshowedthemthattheywerehumans,notproperty.Knowingtheirhumanity,it
gavethemthehopeanddeterminationneededtofightforfreedom.Whenhestartedto
read,heliberatedhimselffromtheignorancecyclethattheslaveownerscreatedto
controlslaves.Theeducationbroughtunityinthemostunlikelysituations,whichwas
neededtomakesuchabigchange.WhenFrederickDouglassbeganeducatinghimself,
hechangedthefutureoftheUnitedStates.