Emancipation and the Act of Writing written by Christopher Hager

From the opening sentence to its final sentiment, Word by Word wastes no words stating clearly the importance of its topic: literacy and its paramount importance to knowing how to free oneself, remaining vigilant and understanding the words of those whose only intent is to op- press others that they may live off their blood, sweat and toil.

It was riveting to read, as early as the introduction, seemingly prescient revelations such as, “By writing out the clause in Article II that begins, ‘the president Shall be commander in chief of the Army and navy of the united States,” he taught himself to spell ‘president.’” It would be a shame in this day and age were a writer imagining him- or herself to possess any significance yet to misspell such a mighty word as “President.” It bespeaks the importance of establishing and maintaining one’s writing (and reading) skills in the perpetual campaign to beat back the dark- ness of ignorance, corruption and oppression.

The slave owners of the Deep South feared that black slaves learning to write would be “unsafe” and did all they could to prevent such lessons from occurring. Publicly, however, slave-owners attempted to declare that the slaves could not write owing to their innate biological inferiority.
Nevertheless, slaves did learn to write, and there are samples presented that negate both the slave-owners' and the abolitionists' perceptions.

(hardcover, $39.95: Harvard University Press )