Political Quotes

Frederick Douglass: Ignorance is a high virtue in a human chattel; and as the master studies to keep the slave ignorant, the slave is…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1855
Ignorance is a high virtue in a human chattel; and as the master studies to keep the slave ignorant, the slave is cunning enough to make the master think he succeeds.
Said by
Frederick Douglass

Editor's note · Context

Douglass describes the perverse value placed on ignorance for enslaved people and the subtle ways enslaved individuals navigate this oppressive system.

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