#mypjpdgifts #1 "Give an inch...."

Back in college I minored in English Literature and I was especially drawn to African American Literature, any era.  I was fascinated by the boldness, courage and perseverance heard in the voices of the slave narratives.

One of my most favorite books and perhaps one of the most inspirational books for me, as a young college student, was the ​​​​Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  This book is a must read for anyone who needs the motivation to keep learning and to learn how ever and whenever. 

My favorite part of the auto-biography, was when young Frederick speaks of learning how to read.  For a brief moment he receives formal instruction but the lessons were stopped abruptly since it was illegal to educate a slave. However, the few lessons that Frederick received was enough to ignite a love and passion for learning that he found ingenious ways to continue learning; talk about a personal learning lifestyle!

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​One of the most powerful and most defining moments is when, Frederick Douglass recaps the disappointment of the slave owner finding out he was learning to read, and he comments about (and I’m paraphrasing here) if you give a slave an inch they will take an ell.  Well honey, if that inch is the gift of learning, take it and run.

To find out more about how Frederick Douglass learns his way to freedom and writing his own autobiography, find it on Amazon here.

i, I'm Tamara Pradel. I am the Technology Innovation Educationist.