Isn't this great stuff?? I've been blown away by the speeches I'm discovering in this archive! I'm especially impressed with those given by William Whipper (you may want to check out some of his speeches as well).

I strongly believe that if children today were exposed to a lot of these little known abolitionists and the work they accomplished during this horrible time in our history that they'd find new heroes and be inspired to greater achievements in their own lives. This applies not only to black children but to ALL races!

In order for things to really progress, what's required is a change in how we view human achievement and a new perspective on the contribution of these brave men and women in the abolition of slavery. After reading these speeches, I can see that Lincoln didn't free the slaves! They freed themselves through what one speaker described as "agitation, agitation, agitation"!! Lincoln simply signed into law what was morally right and proper, finally recognizing ideas that we in line with the basic concepts of those who founded this country!

With new heroes, children of all races can enter society with a new sense of equality and a new interpretation of how valuable freedom is! For young African American kids, this means expanding within themselves the definition of success and taking it past simply those of rap musicians, sports stars, or "outlaws."