Dr. Salim Washington discussed the life of David Walker, the 19th-century Black abolitionist and author of the history-changing pamphlet Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World. This talk was the first of a three-part series dedicated to Walker, his work, and his legacy.
Living as a free Black man in Boston, David Walker published his 1829 Appeal and sent shockwaves across the nation. This revolutionary pamphlet called on enslaved people to revolt against their enslavers and compelled white Americans to recognize the moral depravity of slavery.
While the pamphlet instilled a sense of pride and hope in its Black readers, terrified slaveholders banned its distribution and put a $3,000 bounty on Walker’s head, while offering $10,000 to anyone who could bring him to the South alive. Although friends urged him to flee to Canada, Walker refused, saying, “I may be doomed to the stake and the fire, or to the scaffold tree, but it is not in me to falter if I can promote the work of emancipation.”
The Old North Church is committed to telling stories of active citizenship and courageous, compassionate leadership throughout history, and we were proud to host this event examining David Walker’s remarkable life.
