Moses Roper was born to enslavement in North Carolina in 1815, after his mother was assaulted by her captor. Once he was older, Roper was sold to another enslaver in Florida.
In 1834, Roper would escape from Florida after attempting to escape over 20 times. He was resilient in his attempts for freedom and finally got it. He traveled immediately to New York but then found himself in Britain where his new life would begin.
In Britain, Roper met abolitionists and churchmen who would take him in. This community helped fund his education which gave him the voice to tell his own story.
In 1837, Roper published his book “Narrative of the Adventures and Escape of Moses Roper from American Slavery.” This first edition detailed his freedom story and led him on a course to advocate for abolition himself. So what can we learn from Roper’s story?
To reach liberation, we must be patient and consistent in our approach. This is not a sprint. It takes time and dedication to reach liberation; we all must do what we can to help each other reach that goal.