Page "David Walker (abolitionist)" Paragraph 14

In his Appeal Walker implored the black community to take action against slavery and discrimination.

" What gives unity to Walker's polemic ," historian Paul Goodman has argued, " is the argument for racial equality and the active part to be taken by black people in achieving it.

" Literary scholar Chris Apap has echoed these sentiments.

The Appeal, Apap has asserted, rejected the notion that the black community should do nothing more than pray for its liberation.

Apap has drawn particular attention to a passage of the Appeal in which Walker encourages blacks to “ ever make an attempt to gain freedom or natural right, from under our cruel oppressors and murderers, until you see your ways clear ; when that hour arrives and you move, be not afraid or dismayed .” Apap has interpreted Walker ’ s words as a play on the Biblical injunction to “ be not afraid or dismayed .” As he points out, “‘ be not afraid or dismayed ’ is a direct quote from 2 Chronicles 20. 15, where the Israelites are told to ‘ be not afraid or dismayed ’ because God would fight the battle for them and save them from their enemies without their having to lift a finger .” In the Bible, all the Israelites are expected to do is pray, but Walker asserts that the black community must " move.

" Apap insists that in prompting his readers to " move ,” Walker rejected the notion that the blacks should “ sit idly by and wait for God to fight their battles -- they must ( and implicit in Walker's language is the assumption that they will ) take action and move to claim what is rightfully and morally theirs .”