Why Is David Potter Important To The Constitution

Indira Benitez Professor Jones Perspective on Modern World History - Section 01 Mar 31, 2024.

Frederick Douglass, Abolition, and the Constitution. Daughter of Dave Potter.

As a child raised in Edgefield County, South Carolina, in 1801, I was born into slavery. I am the daughter of Dave Potter, a skilled potter, and poet whose clay creations have left a lasting impact on the world through the artistic achievements of enslaved African Americans (Finkel, NY Times). Despite the challenges of living under ownership, I held onto a deep desire for freedom. I grew up seeing my dad making beautiful things, but also seeing how mean our masters were. My family's tale is about toughing it out and not giving up, no matter what gets thrown at us. When
I recognize the importance of the constitution, which is the law that fundamentally governs the nation. It establishes the structure for the federal government, consisting of the three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial sections of the government. Besides this, the Constitution establishes and protects individual freedom through the Bill of Rights and the subsequent amendments. This document also undergoes amendments to reflect a perfect union, establish justice, and ensure domestic tranquility. Nevertheless, my time as a slave, observing the violence and injustice of a system that gives me and my family our humanity no regard, taints my awareness of the Constitution. No matter how noble and proud it may be, the world is not yet able to do more than just verbally stand up for all people, especially those who suffer from slavery and exclusion. Under the constitution, projects such as slavery, becoming fixed, and making law some inequalities and oppression left us to find out its true ability to secure liberty and justice for all people of the nation. Why should I, as a daughter of Dave the Potter, embrace a document that maintains these injustices that my family and community have experienced? In the end, though I am well aware of the Constitution's major role in shaping our country's history, I cannot outright support it without
Walker's call for enslaved people to wage war against their oppressors and severely injure them disgusts me because it is not non-violent and simultaneously goes against the principles of peace that I hold dear. Although I crave freedom as much for myself as I do my oppressed people, I figure that violence always only engenders more violence, which in my opinion just leads to the perpetuation of the performance of suffering and oppression. Moreover, slaveholders and the enslaved face additional risks due to Walker's proposal for armed revolt; disloyal reactions from the slaveholders and more upheaval by master-slaves will probably occur. In my mind, these are not the right actions that would only result in more dead bodies left on yellow tarmac squares without guaranteeing the finality of freedom and liberation. Alternatively, I believe that peace ensures a greater impact, in contrast to violence, and together with education and collective action solutions, it is the means for permanent change. While I sympathize with the anger and hopelessness Walker may have felt that would cause him to come up with