To Awaken My Afflicted Brethren: David Walker and the Problem of Antebellum Slave Resistance

David Walker was all but forgotten until his "Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World" was republished in the 1960s. Now, Peter Hinks has uncovered most of what can be known about the fiery publicist and activist. The "Appeal" is a profoundly radical polemic. It exposes America's racial and religious hypocrisy, directly countering Thomas Jefferson's critique of African Americans while refuting timeworn Biblical strictures. "Afflicted Brethren" deftly reveals Walker's little-known early life in North and South Carolina, and also adds detail about his final years in Boston. Even Hinks's prodigious research cannot create a full-length biography of this thinly-documented figure, but he provides valuable context on the burgeoning resistance to slavery and Walker's role in inspiring it. He also tackles the issue of Walker's sudden death in 1830, concluding that despite Southerners' hatred and incitement to murder, he almost certainly died of illness. "The Appeal" is both timely and timeless, raising crucial unresolved questions about American society. Hinks has also edited a recent version of Walker's "Appeal," and it is perhaps the best available. The moving prose of V. Harding's "There is a River" covers Walker and many other freedom fighters.