Freedom by Any Means: Con Games, Voodoo Schemes, True Love and Lawsuits on the Underground Railroad

FREEDOM BY ANY MEANS is an ingeniously crafted historical book BY ALL MEANS!!! I was more than intrigued to discover the other side of the story as it relates to African American history as I ventured into the world of the fifteen luminously untold stories uniquely documented by author Betty DeRamus. I was instantly mesmerized with this book the moment I began reading the opening story of John Bowley, a skillful ship carpenter and freed slave, who daringly and cunningly showed up at a Maryland Slave auction in the mid-1800's with nothing more than some bold guts and a clever plan in a successful attempt to secure the freedom of his wife Kessiah (the niece of Harriet Tubman - The "Moses of Her People") and their two children who were all scheduled to be sold at auction to another slave-owner. And I remained awestruck as I continued to read one untold historical event after another. And being a native of Tuskegee, Alabama, I was also intrigued with Tuskegee Institute's founder Booker T. Washington's description of the "grapevine telegram" - the invisible communication wire for slaves and freed blacks. Additionally, I was pleased to read an excerpt from a 1901 letter of Robert W. Taylor, financial secretary of Tuskegee Institute, to a newspaper editor concerning Harriet Tubman which reads, "She told me that when she found her mother unwilling to leave behind her feather bed tick, and her father his broad axe and other tools, she bundled up feather bed, broad axe, mother, father - all and landed them in Canada". This expertly compiled masterpiece of "untold" historical events brings a whole new but most tasteful depiction to the accounts of African American freedom and history. As opposed to viewing slaves as a people who secured freedom through fear and avoidance, you now can appreciate an enduring account of slaves as strong people with a large vision who strategically and cleverly devised an effective and commendable plan of action for freedom. This took not only gutsy creativity but brilliant implementation. And likewise, Author Betty DeRamus displays both gutsy creativity and brilliant implementation in her compilation of these remarkably documented untold stories. These intriguing pearls of history of American slavery should become integrated into the American history teaching curriculum of every educational facility. Needless to say, as author of "Freedom By Any means", DeRamus continues her excellence in documenting tales of African American history that she commendably started in her first book, "Forbidden Fruit".

I'm a real sucker for any books that have to do with the Underground Railroad. My grandfather was a black history professor and author of a book on the subject. So, when I received this riveting book by author Betty DeRamus, I couldn't wait to feature it as my "Book of Color" Pick of the Day. Freedom by Any Means explores a side of Black History you're likely to not have heard too much about. More than just anecdotes of the Underground Railroad, it shares the untold stories of slaves that were freed by extraordinary means.. After years of research, veteran and award-winning journalist, Betty DeRamus has compiled what I believe to be a more than fascinating treat for History buffs.

Much of the history during and after the anti-bellum period has never been told. And as a result we are unaware of the many heroes and heroines who laid the foundation that feeds our stamina. DeRamus' renderings of historic tales light the paths of many slaves on their way to freedom. She shares some of the unheralded tools and methods they used: 'Con Games, Voodoo Schemes, True Love, Law Suits, and the Underground Railroad.' DeRamus begins with the story of one John Bowley, a freeman who showed up at a slave auction in Cambridge, Maryland and masterfully escaped to Canada, with his 'sold' family in-tow. While most know the courageous story of Rosa Parks, which led to the infamous bus boycott, many have not heard of Elizabeth Jennings, a twenty-four-year old schoolteacher and church organist, who was thrown from a horse-drawn street car in 1854 because she would not give up her seat. Jennings successfully sued the driver and the Third Avenue Railway Company, and in 1885, a ruling eliminated racial segregation on public transportation in that city. Or, Callie House who, in 1898, organized the first convention of the National Ex-Slave Mutual Relief, Bounty and Pension Association. Or, Charlotte Hawkins Brown who, decades before the sit-ins of the 1960s, was served coffee in many North Carolina restaurants. These encounters were clever and dangerous, but were accomplished with intelligence and love. The individuals in the escapades were inspired by a deep and abiding faith in their humanity. Although these are stories of past injustices, they still represent a hidden magnanimous history that deserves to be known. DeRamus makes readers acutely aware of the many ills that have not all been cured. I learned of key cities that were integral in assisting slaves as they journeyed on the Underground Railroad; many cities in Ohio and small unlikely cities, like Cassopolis and Cass County, in Michigan. Thorough research is evident as DeRamus exposed a network of families, white and black, whose ancestors played major roles as a race of people searched for freedom. FREEDOM BY ANY MEANS amazed, enthralled and fascinated me, but mostly it filled me with the prideful knowledge that slaves found a semblance of an unrestricted life. They loved, lusted and lived life as complete as was humanly possible given the time and the season. This is a must read, especially for history buffs. Reviewed by aNN of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

"Freedom was supposed to taste like sweet potatoes simmered in cinnamon or pecan pies baptized with rum." However, former slave Sally Williams found the taste of actual freedom bittersweet at first. Like other people in Betty DeRamus's "Freedom by Any Means," though, Williams quickly embraced the life she and her son took extraordinary steps to create. There are history books that spew facts. Then, there are history books that are written. With "Freedom by Any Means," journalist Betty DeRamus has written a factual book about stories from the Underground Railroad with an authentic, friendly, relevant voice. Take for example, the beginning to Chapter Fourteen, "Let's pretend the academy of Motion Pictures was around in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, handing out shiny trophies to people on both sides of the antislavery movement..." This statement serves as an introduction to a chapter highlighting the acting and performance skills that often helped Blacks gain their freedom. There are quite a few examples like this in this book- where DeRamus uses timely, modern images to explain historical events. Indeed, the narrator voice is engaging, guiding, instructive, yet unobtrusive. Challenging enough for scholars, but accessible enough for younger, or less seasoned audiences. Further, the author does not assume history is a bland subject for the classroom, or "historiophiles." Rather, this book includes quotes, poetry and even recipes. DeRamus uses several devices to share stories of the Underground Railroad with readers. The stories and anecdotes contained in "Freedom by Any Means" travel ground that have not been adequately covered previously. And, happily, the work is equitable with regard to gender. In addition to males, who tend to be overrepresented in history, we learn about Tempe, a Missouri woman, who successfully sued for her freedom in court. And, we gain more insight into some of my favorites-- women like Mary Ellen Pleasant and the never too familiar Ms. Harriet Tubman. By the way, it isn't easy to teach me something new about Harriet Tubman. I posit that when it comes to an oppressive, overarching institution such as slavery, there cannot truly be voluntary relationships between an oppressor, and the oppressed. Still, DeRamus' research offers an alternative to the standard, hostile, abusive and exploitative relationships that, more often than not, existed between Blacks and whites with stories about John L. Brown, and others. One of the best aspects of this book is that it can bear the weight of critical analysis and is worthy of inspiring intellectual and scholarly debate. As a professor of Black Studies, what I appreciate most about this book is the profound attention to the seven principle areas of Black Studies. This text addresses history, politics, spirituality, psychology, sociology, economics, and creative production, as it relates to freedom. Indeed, the biggest problem with this text was not be

This collection of historically accurate tales describes the many paths to freedom undertaken by black slaves through previously unheard of "Con Games, Voodoo Schemes, True Love and Law Suits on the Underground Railroad." They will strike you as clever, at times harrowing, and at other times flat out dangerous, but always full of heart, intelligence and love. The people in these historical renderings were guided by much more than the North Star. They were inspired by a deep and abiding faith in their humanity. No, these are not just stories of yesteryear, long ago days when slavery existed; these are not just stories to trot out righteously every February. These are stories to read for present-day guidance on how to escape the morass of war, poverty, hate, racism, and all the other isms that keep us isolated, insulated and thoroughly oblivious to our global kinship - except when our pocketbooks are empty and we are looking for someone to blame. Betty DeRamus masterfully wove these stories into one long proscription for modern times. They are a look back for a hope forward. Or should I say a hop? Or a row on the Ohio River, one of the routes of the Underground Railroad? Until this book I never knew Michigan, my home state, had such a progressive role in the Railroad. I'm not talking about Detroit. I'm talking about Cassopolis, Cass County, Michigan where one wouldn't ordinarily think of help for escapees from slavery. So these stories represent a portion of American history that every single person in this country needs to read as a path to understanding the heroism and heart of true patriots. These stories are well researched. DeRamus now has established a network of the families, white and black, whose ancestors played a role in the thumping of feet, the rustling of brush and the soft rippling of waves on the way to freedom.