What The Black Man Wants Analysis

Frederick Douglass’s “What the Black Man Wants” captures the need for change in post Civil War America. The document presses the importance for change, with the mindset of the black man being, ‘if not now then never’. Parallel to this document is the letter of Jourdon Anderson, writing to his old master. Similar to Douglas, Mr. Anderson speaks of the same change and establishes his worth as freed man to his previous slave owner. These writings both teach and remind us about the evils of slavery and the continued need for equality, change, and reform.

The infamous abolitionist, Frederick Douglass called upon the Massachusetts anti-slavery society with a powerful and expertly written speech. He points out that the black man desires equality, and freedom. In Douglass’s own words, freedom is “the right to choose one’s own employment” and when someone decides for anyone else: when, where, for what and for whom they will work, they “practically reduce [them] to slavery”. Working for yourself seems like such a given right, but this was a brand new privilege for African Americans, to finally be able to choose for themselves. Douglass captures the absolute

The letter shows the loyalty that African Americans gave to their owners, despite all of the suffering they put them through. The letter showed that Anderson was intelligent and that he was no longer property of Colonial Anderson, but a man replying to another man. Never before could a slave write to their owner in such a way. Mr. Anderson states that “surely there will be a day of reckoning” for what he experienced in slavery. Anderson expresses that he, like the rest of the freed American slaves, would never turn back and never give up their freedom. He “would rather stay here, and starve and die” than see his daughter's experience the violence and evil of