Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838. His story and writings have been a source of inspiration for me, as I learn to escape from another form of captivity in 2016.

In his autobiography, “Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass“, there is a vivid scene where Douglass describes the reaction of his slave master, upon discovering that the mistress was teaching him his ABC’s.

“If you give a n– an inch, he will take an ell.” his master lectured against teaching Douglass.

But Douglass, hearing those words, pierced the darkness of slavery’s deepest chains and committed himself to taking the ell.

He shares that:

These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought  …  From that moment forward, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom … The first step had been taken. Mistress, in teaching me the alphabet, had given me the inch, and no precaution could prevent me from taking the ell.

Freedom from captivity requires us to rise up from our slumbering. Once we wake up, even if we’ve only been given an inch, we must commit ourselves to taking the ell.