Chasing Freedom
by Gloria Ann Wesley
During the
American Revolutionary War, the British Crown recruited black soldiers to fight
for his Majesty’s army in exchange for their freedom and the freedom of their
family. The recruits were promised land, provisions and ultimately freedom in
British North America (now Canada). These promises appealed to many slaves who
sought a better life for themselves and their family. This was the case for the
father of 16 year-old Sarah Redmond, a slave on a South Carolina plantation. In
the dark of night her father (Fortune) ran away to join the British army
leaving Sarah and her grandmother, Lydia, to travel to the north in search of
freedom. Along with other Loyalists, the two travel from South Carolina to New
York City uncertain of what the future holds. Sarah dreams of the hope and
promises that might come with freedom, turning a blind eye the inevitable
challenges of both relocation and racism that still oppresses the black
settlers.
In Gloria Ann
Wesley’s Chasing Freedom, Sarah and
Lydia eventually settle in the first black community in North America:
Birchtown, Nova Scotia. They hold their certificates of freedom close at all
times – not only for the significance but also to avoid trouble with the
slave-catchers that were hired to retrieve former slaves and return them to
their owners. Life in Birchtown is not as easy as Sarah had hoped as in
addition to the slave hunters, her new home was barren, cold and isolated. The
racist attitudes of the south were still present, and proved to be a great
obstacle between Sarah’s dreams and reality. Will Sarah be able to pursue her
own career goals or will racial oppression forbid her from achieving her them?
The plot is
filled with suspenseful situations, from accusations of murder against Fortune
to fires set to the buildings of black business owners in retaliation by the
white population. Although the Loyalists were given many promises by the
British government, few were actually granted. Many members of the black
community starved to death, with inadequate food or shelter to survive the
harsh Canadian winters. Most of the people had been slaves their entire lives
and knew no other life. For a long time it was illegal for African-Americans to
learn how to read or write, and their illiteracy put the community at an
instant disadvantage. Community leaders faced many challenges in the pursuit of
equality, not only in helping the people survive, but to also establish schools
and churches (often the same building) to provide a promising future for their
children.
Wesley attempts
to represent some of the appalling scenarios that the black community faced in
the late 18th century without making the story too grotesque for the
young adult audience. The book has a dignity and emotional restraint that
reflects the characters’ experiences. Sarah addresses this in the
characterization of her grandmother, “She had trained
herself to hold emotions back because crying was a sign of weakness. A weak
slave made good sport for an overseer.”
Throughout
Sarah’s journey in establishing a home in Nova Scotia, she begins to learn more
about her grandmother’s troubled past. Although largely a mystery, Sarah knew
that Lydia had faced a lot of torment throughout her life. After being captured
from her home in Africa, her grandmother was sold to the slave trade and
shipped to the United States. Lydia does not speak often about her past, but
Sarah learns how important family and heritage are to one’s identity and, at
times, sanity. Will Sarah and Fortune be able to reunite Lydia with all of her
children so that she can finally find peace?
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