Content Warning: This story contains descriptions of torture.
John “Fed” Brown had never known freedom. As a child, he’d been whipped constantly by a brutal white slave mistress. Later he was sold several times – each time to more sinister, brutal slave masters. One even did an “experiment” on him – forcing him into a pit, heated like an oven, to study the effects!
But when the slave catchers found him this time, his owner did the most treacherous thing.
He punished the escape attempt by forcing a 14-pound torture object – the “bells and horns” – around Brown’s neck and head, making it impossible for him to sleep or have any comfort for months.
When Brown was finally freed of the torture object, he escaped again! This time, he fled to Indiana and changed his name. But the slave catchers were still on his trail.
He knew he had to leave America for good – and escaped to England.
Not only did he finally gain freedom, but he later dictated an important memoir about his life that exposed the true horrors of American enslavement.
Like Brown, we must be relentless and creative in our pursuit of freedom. Then we can liberate ourselves from white oppression to live better, empowered lives that we create for ourselves!