One of the most "dangerous" men in American history - Keenan Norris

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Grace Man

In 1830 at a clothing store near the Boston Harbor,

1830 年， 波士顿港附近的一家服装店里，

David Walker carefully stitched a pamphlet

大卫·沃克（David Walker） 小心翼翼地将一个小册子

into the lining of a sailor’s coat.

缝在了一件水手外套的内衬上。

The volume was thin enough to be completely hidden,

册子很薄，足以隐匿其中，

but its content was far from insubstantial.

但是册子里的内容 绝不是无足轻重。

In fact, at the time, many members of the US government

实际上当时，美国政府的许多官员

considered this pamphlet to be one of the most dangerous documents

将这个小册子视作美国历史上

in American history.

最危险的文档之一。

So to ensure this volume reached his audience,

为了让册子抵达目标手中，

Walker had to hide his work in the clothing

沃克不得不把他的作品

of both willing co-conspirators and unknowing sailors;

藏在自愿的同谋 和不知情的水手的衣服上，

smuggling the pamphlet throughout the country.

偷偷把小册子带出这个国家。

But what was this incendiary document? And who exactly was the man who wrote it?

但是这份煽风点火的文档 到底是什么？作者又是谁？

Son of an enslaved father and a freedwoman,

父亲为奴隶， 母亲为自由妇女，

David Walker was born free in the late 18th century

大卫·沃克于 18 世纪后期 带着自由身出生于

in Wilmington, North Carolina.

北卡罗莱纳州威尔明顿。

From a young age, he sought to extend his freedom to all Black Americans,

他从小试图将他拥有的自由 惠及全美黑人，

and after moving to Charleston as a young man,

年纪轻轻的他在搬至查尔斯顿后，

he became closely involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

便与非洲卫理公会圣公会 （AME 教会）过从甚密。

At that time, the mainstream movement to end slavery was comprised of societies

当时，主流的解放奴隶运动 由一些社团引领，

led by wealthy white men who favored gradual change

这些社团由富有的白人男性领导， 他们倾向于循序渐进，

and avoided confrontation with slaveholders.

避免与奴隶主的冲突。

But the AME Church practiced a more radical brand of abolition.

但是，AME 教会所采取的 废除奴隶制的举措更为激进。

In 1822, AME leader Denmark Vesey planned a major insurrection

1822 年，AME 领袖 丹马克·韦西（Denmark Vesey）

谋划了一场激烈暴动， 意图武力解放查尔斯顿的奴隶群体，

intended to violently liberate Charleston’s enslaved community

and set the city ablaze.

放火烧掉这座城市。

It’s unclear if Walker contributed to Vesey’s plan,

我们无从得知 沃克是否参与了韦西的计划，

but he wasn’t among the many AME members who were arrested and executed

但是他不在因这次出师未捷的骚乱 而被捕和被处决的

for this attempted rebellion.

众多 AME 成员之列。

In 1825, Walker surfaced in Boston, where he rejoined the fight against slavery.

1825 年，沃克在波士顿露面， 于此再次加入了反抗奴隶制的斗争。

In addition to marrying fellow activist Eliza Butler

他与积极分子同志伊莉莎·巴特勒 （Eliza Butler）结婚，

and opening his clothing store,

开了一家服装店，

Walker helped fund America’s first Black-owned newspaper.

还资助了美国第一家 由黑人拥有的报社。

Is passionate articles and public speeches sought to instill pride and camaraderie

他充满激情的文章和公众演说 试图将自豪与友爱注入

into those fighting for Black liberation.

解放黑人的斗争中。

But to truly unite free and enslaved Black Americans,

但是要真正将自由黑人 和黑人奴隶团结起来，

Walker would have to go beyond Boston.

沃克必须走出波士顿。

In 1829, he poured his ideas

1829 年，他将他的想法倾注于

into the “Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World.”

《向全球有色人种的呼吁》 （下称《呼吁》）之中。

This treatise was punctuated with furious exclamation marks

文中缀满了愤怒的感叹号，

and emphasized the spiritual righteousness of resistance.

强调了反抗运动 在精神层面上的正当性。

He described the suffering of enslaved people in graphic detail to prove

他图文并茂地描述 被奴役的人们遭受的痛苦，

that the reality for Black Americans was often “kill or be killed.”

证明美国黑人面临的现实 往往只有“杀人或被杀”。

And given these circumstances,

在这种情况下，

Walker staunchly defended the right to militant action.

沃克坚决维护了武力行动的权利。

This wasn’t his only departure from moderate mainstream abolitionists.

这并不是他唯一一次 与温和的主流废除主义者意见相左。

To stress the importance of Black solidarity,

为了加强黑人群体的团结，

Walker connected American abolitionism

沃克将美国废奴运动

with global movements for Black liberation.

与全球的解放黑奴运动 牵上了线。

He called for an international Black freedom struggle

他号召组织了 国际黑人自由斗争，

in an early display of what would come to be called Pan-Africanism.

即泛非洲主义的早期体现。

But at the same time, he opposed the popular movement

但是与此同时，他反对

for Black Americans to emigrate to Africa.

呼吁美国黑人 迁往非洲的风靡运动。

While the “Appeal” criticized the Founding Fathers for their hypocrisy,

虽然《呼吁》批评了 国父们的虚伪，

Walker insisted that Black people were essential to the country’s creation,

但是沃克坚称黑人 在美国的建立上居功至伟，

and had an undeniable right to American citizenship.

拥有毋庸置疑的美国公民权。

Walker suspected these incendiary arguments

沃克怀疑这些煽动性言论

would make him a target for violence.

会让他成为武力针对的对象。

But in spite of the danger, he continued using sailors to smuggle his work.

但是，虽然身处危险之中， 他依旧利用水手偷运着他的著作。

The “Appeal” traveled down the coast into the hands of shopkeepers,

《呼吁》沿着海岸从北至南 流入了店主、

church leaders, political organizers, and underground abolitionist networks.

教会领袖、政治组织者手中 和地下废奴主义者圈中。

For these readers, Walker’s words galvanized militant efforts

沃克的言论振奋了 这些读者采取武力手段

to overthrow slave owners

推翻奴隶主，

and its call to arms struck fear into white officials.

武装的号令让白人官员胆战心惊。

Police intercepted its delivery,

警方阻截了册子的走私，

and quarantined Black sailors at Southern ports.

在南方港口扣押了黑人水手。

The pamphlet inspired Louisiana to ban anti-slavery literature,

这个小册子促使路易斯安那州 封禁反奴隶文学作品，

and both North and South Carolina cracked down on Black education

北卡罗莱纳州和南卡罗莱纳州 都叫停了黑人教育，

to prevent literacy among enslaved peoples.

以防奴隶识字。

Southern officials even placed a bounty on Walker’s head

南部官员还为沃克悬赏

worth the modern equivalent of $322,000.

等同于如今 322000 美金的数目。

But while friends urged him to flee, Walker refused to abandon his cause.

虽然朋友们让沃克快逃， 但是他拒绝放弃他的阵地。

Tragically, his bravery couldn’t protect him

不幸的是， 他的勇气并没有让他

from the deadliest disease of his time.

逃过当时的致命疾病。

In August 1830, Walker was found dead.

1830 年 8 月， 沃克被发现死亡。

And while his associates declared him the victim of assassination,

虽然沃克的同伴 宣称他死于刺杀，

it’s now widely believed that he died from tuberculosis.

但是现今普遍认为 他死于肺结核。

Following his death, Walker's message continued to resound.

沃克死后， 他想传达的信息依旧回响不绝。

Frederick Douglass credited him as the originator of radical abolitionism,

弗雷德里克·道格拉斯 （Frederick Douglass）

将他认定为 激进废奴运动的创始人，

and his “Appeal” inspired some of the most influential members

他的《呼吁》启发着 20 世纪解放运动

of the 20th century liberation movement.

数位最有影响力的领袖。

From Malcolm X’s militant approach to Black resistance,

马尔科姆·艾克斯（Malcolm X）的 黑人反抗武力手段、

to James Cone’s writing on Black spirituality,

詹姆斯·科恩（James Cone）的 黑人精神文学，

Walker’s legacy remains crucially important to the history

沃克的遗产一直是 黑人反抗运动史上

of Black resistance movements—

至关重要的篇章，

and their visions for the future.

也启迪着他们对未来的展望。