Mindful Monday: Twelve Years a Slave

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This powerful account of Solomon Northrop's personal story more than once brought up a lump in my throat and tears to my eyes. 

Kidnapped and sold, Solomon finds his exasperated insistence of his rightful freedom brings him only more punishment. Never giving up on trying to find a way to escape or get word to his friends in New York to beg for their intervention and rescue, he finds himself on plantations deep in Louisiana.

A resident of Louisiana for thirteen years myself, three of which we lived less than 40 miles from the location where Northrop was enslaved for twelve years I think brought an entirely closer bond to his story. Having been crippled myself by the overwhelmingly oppressive summer heat and humidity, I can only barely imagine life for those who day after day worked past the point of heat exhaustion, year after year. I had no trouble smelling the great pines, the soil in the humid fields, the particular stale mud of the bayou swamps, and this gave me an almost immersive experience while reading this account. 

There are some who might argue that this autobiography is no longer relevant, that it is purely historical in value. I would heartily disagree. This man's experience is as important for individuals to read about and meditate on as it was when it was published in 1853, in some ways even more so in our era. 

It saddens me that nearly everywhere, too many of the attitudes that ruled and caused so much pain and suffering 150 years ago, haven't changed enough. There may be better laws to protect an individuals rights, but it is scary how deeply entrenched the racial divide still dwells. One of the things that affected me deeply throughout was how generous this man who suffered so greatly still was in his portrayal of his situation and oppressors. He always assigns them respect, even when they clearly are despicable human beings. That is true integrity.

This book should be on every high school reading list. It should be discussed at length. It should be central to the dialogue that is taught as American History.

I downloaded my electronic copy for free from Amazon.com. I chose to review it and share my thoughts and opinions herein.

RD - Readers Discretion advised, some content and language is mature, but in the context of real events as they occurred in this personal account.

AWBB Rating: ! ! ! ! ! 5/5

Get your own copy here!

                                                                     

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