To Be a Slave

Julius Lester (1939-2018) grew up in Missouri and experienced segregation firsthand. In the 1960s, Lester became politically involved in the civil rights movement. Lester developed a prolific writing career and eventually became a professor of African American Studies at the University of Massachusetts.

Julius Lester was a descendant of enslaved African Americans. He dedicated To Be a Slave to the memory of his great-grandparents, listing their names and the states in which they were enslaved. He also honors the memory of ancestors “whose names are now unknown” (43). In this dedication, he notes that “the ancestry of any black American can be traced to a bill of sale and no further” (43), and this is the reality for part of his family. Lester’s own ancestry was shaped by the system of slavery, and one of the many losses stemming from this system was the loss of family history.

Through this book, Lester reclaimed part of his family history and the history of all African Americans. Although his enslaved ancestors were deceased, by giving a voice to the experiences of enslaved people in America he honored their humanity and preserved their memory. Lester’s personal connection to slavery, his own experiences of racial injustice, and his credentials as a writer and scholar come together in To Be a Slave.