Born slave in 1818, the young man will hide in order to learn to read. He will build a social and political awareness that will help him fight for his condition.
At the age of 20, he manages to escape and join the abolitionist movement. People were fascinated by his talent as an orator in meetings and by his autobiographical stories (3 in total, between 1845 and 1892) which became real bestsellers.
In 1863, after the abolition of slavery in the United States by Abraham Lincoln, he holds important political positions for the adoption of Resolutions 13, 14 and 15 of the American Constitution.
He stays today the pioneer of black activism and the great partisan of the slavery abatement. We owe him the celebration of “Black History Month”
