To Be a Slave

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Unique Voices in To Be a Slave”

 In this activity, students will research and present information on one of the historical figures in To Be a Slave.

Lester’s 1968 compilation To Be a Slave offers many voices that together provide key insights into slavery in the US and its long-reaching aftereffects. In this activity, select a historical figure mentioned or whose narrative helped you to learn more about enslaved people and slavery.  Share what you can learn about this person’s unique story and/or role within To Be a Slave based on the text and additional research. Create a visual aid such as a slideshow, poster, or collage to convey information visually as you share what you’ve learned with your classmates.

Figures you may want to consider:

• Solomon Northup
• Josiah Henson
• Abraham Lincoln
• Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Ida Blackshear Hutchinson
• You may instead want to research and share information on Julius Lester, his biography, and his other works.

After compiling your research, share your findings with the class. Be sure to include any relevant visuals, photograph images, or other artistic mediums, if relevant. After hearing from classmates, compose a brief reflection in your journal or notes: How did one person’s words or actions such as the figure you researched impact your overall understanding of To Be a Slave and the topic of slavery more generally?

Teaching Suggestion: The visual aid or slideshow may be a way for students to use what they know about symbolism, metaphor, or other literary devices in connection with this nonfiction work. For example, a student might include an image of a symbol they’ve chosen to represent a portion of a narrative, then explain the representation when they share discovered information with peers.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Lester writes in Chapter 7 that the North “refused to ensure the freedom of blacks” that had been won during the Civil War.

• According to Lester, how did the North fail to do this? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 examples from the text in which Northern states/communities in the North failed to support formerly enslaved people. Analyze and discuss these examples in support of your topic sentence.
• In your concluding sentences, briefly summarize how this quotation relates to the theme of The Need to Correct Historical Misconceptions About Slavery in the United States.

2. In Chapter 4, Lester includes an extended quote from Thomas Jefferson in which Jefferson argues that “the blacks […] are inferior to the whites in the endowments of both body and mind.” Read Jefferson’s argument critically.

• In what way is Jefferson using Western culture as the standard to judge African cultures? (topic sentence)
• Which points cannot be proven? Which points are disproven by other details included in this book?
• In your concluding sentences, briefly connect Jefferson’s judgement of African cultures to the theme of The Humanity of Enslaved People.

3. After the initial joy of emancipation, Lester writes in Chapter 7 that “[s]lavery returned in almost every respect except name.”

• Why does Lester make this assertion? (topic sentence)
• Find 2-3 pieces of evidence in the book that supports his statement. Analyze and discuss these examples to substantiate your topic sentence.
• In which ways does the persistence of slavery-like conditions and treatment relate to the Continued Racial Injustice in the United States?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. How has this book changed your view of slavery? Analyze and discuss at least three examples of details you learned as you read and how they changed your understanding of the history of slavery in the US. In your opinion, can the way the subject of slavery is taught in schools be improved? If so, how?

2. Research generational trauma (sometimes called transgenerational or intergenerational trauma). What is it? How might it be connected to the topic of slavery? Explain how the primary source narratives from formerly enslaved people in To Be a Slave might be referenced in a discussion or argument on the effects of generational trauma. How do the themes in the text suit this topic as well?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following phrases best summarizes the purpose of Lester’s Author’s Note?

A) To give a complete account of the history of slavery

B) To explain the motivation for writing his book

C) To describe the injustices that enslaved people experienced

D) To clarify the misconceptions regarding the triangle trade system

2. Which of the following words best describes the conditions of the Middle Passage?

A) Brief

B) Treacherous

C) Isolated

D) Lavish

3. How is the content of Lester’s text best described?

A) An examination of secondary sources from the 19th century

B) A commentary on the link between 20th century political manifestos and slavery

C) A presentation of vignettes of the life of enslaved people in the 20th century

D) A compilation of nonfiction primary sources from those living during US slavery

4. Which of the following words best describes the introduction of enslaved African labor to the American colonies?

A) Immediate

B) Holistic

C) Failing

D) Gradual

5. Which of the these historical events does Lester note triggered an increase in selling enslaved communities?

A) The election of Abraham Lincoln

B) The end of the Civil War

C) The Battle of Gettysburg

D) The first sailing of the schooner Desire

6. Lester writes in Chapter 2 that “[t]he plantation [was] a world within itself, a stage upon which the slaves acted out the parts assigned to them and, at the same time, lived their lives.” Which of the following literary terms does Lester use in this description of a plantation?

A) Simile

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Alliteration

7. Which of the following combination of words best describes how a person can be enslaved, according to Lester?

A) Emotionally and spiritually

B) Politically and economically

C) Physically and mentally

D) Emotionally and politically

8. Which of the following ideas describe a form of resistance by enslaved people who worked in the field?

A) Pretending to be ignorant

B) Offering to do more work

C) Requesting to be moved into the house

D) Feigning illness every week

9. According to Lester, which of the following reasons best describes why enslaved people would gather after work in the evenings?

A) To plan mutinies against enslavers

B) To prepare food for the next day

C) To relax and socialize

D) To host secret Catholic services

10. What was the Confederacy’s initial response to the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863?

A) Fear

B) Obedience

C) Dismissal

D) Shame

11. Lester notes in Chapter 7 that after the end of the Civil War, “[f]reedom did not come to blacks. It merely visited them for a while.” Which of the following literary terms does Lester use in this quote?

A) Simile

B) Hyperbole

C) Personification

D) Alliteration

12. Which of the following words best characterizes the tone of the Epilogue?

A) Hopeful

B) Inspiring

C) Nonchalant

D) Forlorn

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does Lester structure the content of To Be a Slave? What different components comprise each chapter, and to what effect?

2. What is the effect of the use of derogatory and profane language in To Be a Slave? Why would Lester maintain the use of this language?