Freedom Over Me By Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan’s book begins with a rather gentle voiceover of a slave-owning woman, introducing the fact that her family owned 11 slaves, and how possession of those slaves affected the value of the white Fairchilds’ estate. This page alone should stimulate intense discussion at home, or in a classroom, about the whole concept of the ownership of human beings in the US, slave insurrections, white people’s fear (and simultaneous personal trust of their slaves), and the comfort level of whites being amongst their “own.”
Readers are introduced to the 11 slaves by an illustration and the words “FOR SALE.” Each slave has a page where he/she speaks to their background and work (and a heading of their age and price), and a second page of their “dreams” (their inner lives). A huge amount of history is contained in each of the stories – including about conditions in the transatlantic slave trade; the loss of individual names, tribal language and customs; the distinction between slaves who worked in the “Big House” vs. in the fields; the building of families & the separation of families; love & marriage (“jumping the broom”); the crime of a slave learning to read & write; escape and insurrections; auction blocks; biblical motifs; the power of music, especially spirituals; and the constant dream of freedom.
The “dreams” pages allow for a more in-depth understanding of each slave’s humanity, along with the vibrancy of the community created even under such terrible conditions. Bryan also introduces ancestral African history; the slaves’ authentic names; the histories of where they came from (including those born on US soil); the oral tradition; the importance of song and story; and their specific dreams for when they are free, thus personalizing each autobiography.
The language is beautiful in these prose poems (free verse), e.g., “We had a way with animals./ We led their cattle/ to green pastures/ and still waters,” lines reminiscent of biblical Psalms. The themes emphasize the importance of each individual’s talents, and how those talents increased the value of the Fairchildses’ estate. At the same time, Bryant emphasizes that these men and women – even as slaves – possessed these unique talents, and were empowered by them. Significantly, all these talents could be put to use with the attainment of freedom.
The book ends with a copy of an actual bill of sale, and the horror that human beings, cotton, and animals are all listed on there as if they are equivalent. The author’s note (well worth reading) describes his intent to create detailed portraits of the 11 slaves on this bill of sale, and “to bring them alive as human beings.”
Bryan’s presentation insists that readers recognize the sin of human beings ever being deemed property. He builds deep understanding as to how the slaves and their skills and labor enhanced the wealth of the white owners’ estates (and thus, significantly, the wealth of America). This is a book that gently, but forcefully, demands that even young readers engage with the fact that each slave was a unique human being, and none were valued as such. There is great power in presenting the historical facsimile of the bill of sale. Bryan’s book offers ample opportunity for parents and children to together confront the great tragedy of slavery, and the damage it has done to the fabric of American society. It also offers a space to begin to think about ways of engaging with contemporary topics of reparations and the absolute need for a national reckoning with slavery.
For parents, please read the following articles (in chronological order):
“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates, in The Atlantic Monthly, June 2014.
“Why We Need Reparations for Black Americans,” by Rashawn Ray and Andre M. Perry, in Brookings.edu, 4/15/20.
“What Is Owed,” By Nikole Hannah-Jones, in special issue of New York Times Magazine, 6/30/20.