The Original Abolitionists: Black Liberation and Tactical Violence

How do people whose voices are ignored make themselves heard and force America to include them? Is violence ever an effective means?

My guest, Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson - an incredibly cool person, her Twitter handle is @kcarterjackson - sought the answer by looking to the original abolitionists. I'm talking about the Black people fighting for freedom and equality under the constant, violent threat of being reenslaved or attacked by white mobs in the pre-Civil War era. Seeing that the moral suasion of White abolitionists failed them, their use of tactical violence still influences how we think about making social change today.

Since they sought freedom and equality and only received the former, I look to them in this episode for guidance about how to finish their work. Their choice to fight for themselves, their families, and their people rather than flee is inspiring.

Two notes about references. Solomon Northrop is the guy from 12 Years a Slave. John Brown was a White abolitionist who organized and lead an armed raid against slaveholders in Harpers Ferry West Virginia. Dr. Jackson's book shows the heavy influence of Black abolitionists on this event.

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For more information, check out Dr. Jackson's book Force and Freedom: Black Abolitionists and the Politics of Violence [https://amzn.to/3acLJM4]

Black Abolitionist by Benjamin Quarles [https://amzn.to/3nnlKFv]

Music Credit

PeaceLoveSoul by Jeris (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/VJ_Memes/35859 Ft: KungFu (KungFuFrijters)