Frederick Douglass and Ways of Knowing

Upon reading Frederick Douglass’ memoir and the passage in the prompt, I think of the slaves singing as their own distinct literacy. To the white slave owners in the south, the songs of the slaves meant nothing, but to the slaves, it was their own way of communicating about their experiences, feelings, and even discussing how to escape north. For example, in chapter two, Douglass is remembering the songs that slaves would sing when they would be sent on errands to the Great Farm House. “This they would sing, as a chorus, to words which to many would seem unmeaning jargon, but which, nevertheless, were full of meaning to themselves.” Slaves using song as their own language gave them an identity away from the identity given to them by their oppressors. Applying this thought process to the pieces of Frederick Douglass’ memoir, it makes it even easier to understand why learning to read and write was so important for slaves. While slaves had their own language, it could also be seen as a disadvantage. The difference in languages acted as a barrier and further divided them from the white mans world. This language barrier represents the barrier that slaves had to break down in an attempt to become a member of society.