For citation purposes, the book I’m citing for this post is: The Norton Anthology of American Literature by Nina Baym (editor), Package 1/Vol B (1820-1865), 8th ed, New York: W. W. Norton, 2012, page 1184.
The man much credited with aiding towards the liberation of Black slaves in America, Frederick Douglas, holds my attention this time. In a post much earlier (I think it was my 3rd or 4th), I was moving to talk about our so called Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, and what they might’ve brought to the table for America to shape an image of. Both of these men were industrious and highly creative, strong characteristics of the ideas surrounding what some might now say call “leadership”, but I’d like to regard Mr. Douglas for his also extraordinary feats. How a man went from being a slave to buying his freedom to later in his age holding a position in a public office is no thing to shrug at. I recall in a lecture for the class I’m also reading his story for (Early American Lit.), our Professor told us about a person who said Mr. Douglas was caught in quite an interesting dilemma throughout the times of his rise and much throughout his work to help abolish slavery. His theory more or less stated that Douglas’ dilemma was, having acquired the language of the oppressor (teaching slaves to read was against the law in this times) and gradually garnered influence in his space, balancing his person as not being so close to white people of his time that he became alienated from the culture of his enslaved people, and not being so caught in between his people that he alienated whites whom he would have to mingle with to get around to do what he wanted (freedom for black slaves). In no way to do I mean to diminish thought of the myriad of questions that could arise upon hearing such conditions, but for the purposes of my post for my class, I wonder how these kinds of situations affected his leadership and his views of leadership? Race is perhaps a topic separate to that of Monkey D. Luffy’s leadership, she freedom and oppression is not.
“I have had two masters.” These are Frederick Douglass’ words. “Being the Pirate King means being the Freest Man in the World.” Monkey D. Luffy’s words (I will find the link to the video which contains Luffy saying this and post it here later). I do wonder, how having a master could, in turn, make you a master (of sorts)? Would it make you most like a “mister” or would it make you more like a monster? I don’t recall the exact page, but I do recall that somewhere Douglass mentioned that if there’s a reason his slave brothers grow up and appear to not be thoughtful or are harmful towards each other (or something along these words), it is because the environment has created these dispositions for them, and not because they always were like this because of their race. I should find a particular example, but there are many instances when enemies (or even friends) of Luffy infringed on his freedom to do what he’d like, and he goes berserk. In time, with reading and research, I hope I will be able to produce thoughts of more substance for my paper given this lead that I’ve got now. But again, what sticks out to me, is the question of oppression on leadershipliness…
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Thank you!