"𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠" 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

While watching my classmates present during the "Town Hall Meeting" on September 19th, 2024, I observed and learned a lot as they betrayed their specific anti-slavery activists—specifically, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and Abigail Adams.

First, Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a famous educated slave, and it was rare to find an educated African American in the early 1800's. When he left his original plantation he went on to be a city slave. He says his life as a city slave was better than plantation slaves. He was clothed and fed great. His duties included household chores and running errands. It was here that he encountered education. Ms. Sophia Auld, his mistress at the time, unaware of the consequences, began teaching him the alphabet. However, Mr. Hugh Auld quickly prohibited her, believing that education would spoil "the best nigger in the world." Despite these obstacles, Douglass was determined to learn. So he sought out any books he could find, read street signs in Baltimore, and traded bread with local white boys for tutoring. With the freedom that he had in the Auld household, he seized every opportunity. Education became his weapon against the dehumanizing forces of slavery, showing him the pathway from bondage to freedom.

The next anti-slavery activist I learned a little more about was Susan B. Anthony. Anthony was an icon in the women's suffrage movement. She helped create the 19th Amendment of The Constitution, this guarantees that women have the right to vote and that the federal and state governments cannot deny this right based on sex. Her father owned a cotton factory, and one day, she overheard him saying that he tried to avoid purchasing cotton raised by enslaved labor. That stuck with Susan B. Anthony and by 1845 her family's home was the meeting spot for abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.  Although she sought to influence the abolition of slavery and the rights of enslaved African Americans, Anthony often adopted the racist positions used by many other white women currently to support her goal of women's suffrage.

The last anti-slavery activist from whom I picked up a few insights on was Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams was an influential figure in early American history, known for her strong advocacy for women's rights and education. As the wife of President John Adams, she played a key role in advising him, particularly on political matters, earning her the nickname "Mrs. President." Her letters provide valuable insight into the American Revolutionary War period and early American society. Abigail also advocated for the abolition of slavery, emphasizing the importance of liberty and equality for all.

Overall, I learned a lot about anti-slavery activists that I had heard of before and some that were new to me. I found it fascinating to learn about the people who played a huge role in freeing my people and heritage. It makes you want to thank them because, without their contributions, we might would still be living the same way as people did in the 1800s and early 1900s.