On the record
But, once in a while, in slavery as in the free states, by some extraordinary circumstance, the Negro has a surname fastened to him, and holds it against all conventionalities.
Said by
Frederick Douglass
Source
gutenberg.orgFrederick Douglass: “But, once in a while, in slavery as in the free states, by some extraordinary circumstance, the Negro has a surname…”
Editor's note · Context
Douglass points out that under rare circumstances, enslaved individuals could acquire surnames, defying conventions.
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