Olivia Williams received an Honorable Mention award in the 4th and 5th Grades Category of our 2012 Spark READiness Freedom to Read Essay Contest. Students in this category were asked to respond to
the following passage and instructed to cite any sources they consulted.
Frederick Douglass said: "Once you learn to
read you will be forever free." Who is Frederick Douglass? What do you think
he meant? How can reading make a person free?
Frederick Douglass was a fine man, indeed. He demonstrated empathy for others, courage, and a love of literacy. He worked very closely with Abraham Lincoln, another fine man. In the Civil War, Frederick strongly desired two things: the war to end all slavery and for African Americans to be allowed to enlist in the Union army. It is evident that Douglass cared a lot about African Americans. He even worked with his friend, Lincoln, to improve the treatment of black troops.
Frederick Douglass also had courage. When he attended Lincoln's inaugural address he was the only one who was African American there. That took some courage! Douglass definitely made his mark on history. Most historians even believe he was the most influential black man in his era.
When Frederick Douglass said, "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free," I think he meant a few things by it. One, when he stated, "Everyone should read," he literally meant that no matter what race, gender, age, height, or talent, everyone needs to be able to read. Not reading won't get you anywhere in life.
Two, sometimes getting wrapped up in a good story, makes you feel like you're a character in that book. It makes you feel like you can be anything, like you are free. Reading is a majestic, magical substance that you can have in your life, if you only read. Reading is the key, reading is the path, reading is the way.
Three, he meant that to live in that time, it was a black man's dream to live in a white man's world. They would be able to work and communicate just like everyone else did. Education would be the key. They would live it, learn it, love it, and well, be forever free.
Reading can make a person free because when you read, it transports you somewhere. I believe a book is like a mystical, amazing world. When you read, you get to be a part of that world. No matter what problems you have, what you've done, or where you are, when you read a book all of that goes away. You get transported into this amazing, beautiful world with a clean slate. Every thought disappears and everyone starts new. The best part is, in that world, you can be anything you wish to be. Everything disappears the moment you lay your eyes on the words in a book. You make the story; you make your life theirs; you make the choices. You may get as vivid as you want with it. Let your imagination run wild. You'll be surprised what you come up with.
In conclusion, Frederick had empathy for others by trying to help African American troops get treated nicer, and better. He displayed courage because he was brave enough to speak up for the blacks and to come to Lincoln's inaugural address. Douglass showed a strong love for literacy by saying that quote, encouraging slaves to try to get educated, and being influential on learning.
Source: Tennessee Social Studies Textbook.
Olivia is a fifth grader at Crockett Elementary School in Brentwood. She is eleven years old. Olivia likes to sing, dance,
and act. She also enjoys reading books, writing stories, going to church, and
spending time with friends. Her parents are Kevin and Kathy Williams.
Judges called Olivia's entry "outstanding." As one of only two entries recognized as Honorable Mentions in the 4th and 5th Grades Category, Olivia received a certificate honoring her achievement.
Congratulations, Olivia! Keep reading and writing!
