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

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

In 1830 at a clothing store near the Boston Harbor,

1830 年，在波士頓港 附近的一家服飾店裡，

David Walker carefully stitched a pamphlet

大衛‧沃克小心地把一本小冊子，

into the lining of a sailor’s coat.

縫進一件水手大衣的襯裡。

The volume was thin enough to be completely hidden,

這本冊子很薄， 幾乎沒辦法發現它的存在，

but its content was far from insubstantial.

但它的內容卻意義非凡。

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

事實上，當時有許多美國官員，

considered this pamphlet to be one of the most dangerous documents

都認為這本冊子是 美國史上最危險的文件之一。

in American history.

So to ensure this volume reached his audience,

所以，為了確保這本 冊子能順利送到讀者手上，

Walker had to hide his work in the clothing

沃克必須把自己的作品藏在衣服裡，

of both willing co-conspirators and unknowing sailors;

讓自願合作與毫不知情的水手穿上身，

smuggling the pamphlet throughout the country.

把這本冊子偷渡到美國各地。

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

但這本煽動性的書到底寫了什麼？

寫出這本書的大衛‧沃克又是誰？

Son of an enslaved father and a freedwoman,

沃克的父親是黑奴， 母親則是受解放的自由民，

David Walker was born free in the late 18th century

他在十八世紀末時，於北加州的 威明頓出生，一出生便是自由之身。

in Wilmington, North Carolina.

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

從小，他就希望所有非裔美國人 都能和自己一樣享有自由，

and after moving to Charleston as a young man,

在他長大之後，他搬到查爾斯頓，

he became closely involved with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

開始和非裔衛理聖公會教堂密切往來。

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

當時，要求廢止奴隸制度的主流運動，

由富有的白人領導， 而他們贊同漸變改革，

led by wealthy white men who favored gradual change

and avoided confrontation with slaveholders.

以避免和奴隸主起衝突。

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

但非裔衛理聖公會教堂的行動更激進。

In 1822, AME leader Denmark Vesey planned a major insurrection

1822 年，非裔衛理 聖公會教堂的領袖丹麥‧維西，

計畫了一場大規模起義，

intended to violently liberate Charleston’s enslaved community

想以暴力解放查爾斯頓的所有黑奴，

and set the city ablaze.

並讓城市陷入火海。

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

我們不知道沃克是否參加了這場起義，

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

但他的名字沒有出現在 被逮捕或處決的名單上，

for this attempted rebellion.

因為預謀叛亂而付出代價。

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

1825 年，沃克在波士頓現身， 且再度挺身對抗奴隸制度。

In addition to marrying fellow activist Eliza Butler

除了和同樣投身抗爭運動的 伊麗莎·巴特勒結婚，

and opening his clothing store,

開了一家服飾店，

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

沃克也花錢贊助美國首份非裔報紙。

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

慷慨激昂的報紙文章和公眾演講， 試著將自豪和情誼，

into those fighting for Black liberation.

帶給每一個為解放黑人而努力的人。

But to truly unite free and enslaved Black Americans,

但要真的團結所有自由民和黑奴，

Walker would have to go beyond Boston.

沃克就一定得走出波士頓不可。

In 1829, he poured his ideas

1829 年，他將自己的想法，

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

寫成《對世界所有有色公民的呼籲》。

This treatise was punctuated with furious exclamation marks

這本書充滿飽含憤怒的驚嘆號，

and emphasized the spiritual righteousness of resistance.

也強調反抗在心靈層面的正當性。

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

他以生動的細節描述黑奴的悲慘生活，

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

證明非裔美國人面對的現實， 往往只有殺或被殺兩條路。

And given these circumstances,

考量到以上這些狀況，

Walker staunchly defended the right to militant action.

沃克堅決捍衛激進行動的正當性。

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

他其餘的想法，也和 提倡溫和行動的主流廢奴主義不同。

To stress the importance of Black solidarity,

為了強調非裔人口團結的重要性，

Walker connected American abolitionism

沃克將美國廢奴主義，

with global movements for Black liberation.

和全球的黑人解放運動連結起來。

He called for an international Black freedom struggle

他呼籲跨國的黑人自由抗爭，

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

而這就是「泛非洲主義」的前身。

But at the same time, he opposed the popular movement

但同時，他也反對當時盛行的運動，

for Black Americans to emigrate to Africa.

即是讓非裔美國人搬回非洲。

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

雖然《呼籲》一書批評了 美國開國元老們的偽善，

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

沃克堅持非裔人口 在美國建國時扮演了重要角色，

and had an undeniable right to American citizenship.

因此完全有權獲得美國公民身分。

Walker suspected these incendiary arguments

沃克猜想這些煽動性言論，

would make him a target for violence.

會讓他成為暴力行為的目標。

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

但即便有這種風險， 他仍繼續讓水手偷偷傳遞自己的書。

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

這本小書從海岸出發，落入商店老闆、

church leaders, political organizers, and underground abolitionist networks.

教堂主事、政治行動組織者手上， 也流入地下廢奴主義網路之中。

For these readers, Walker’s words galvanized militant efforts

沃克的言論激發讀者的激進行動，

to overthrow slave owners

讓他們推翻奴隸主，

and its call to arms struck fear into white officials.

而這本書號召黑奴武裝的論點， 也引發白人官員的恐懼。

Police intercepted its delivery,

警方攔截這本書的傳遞，

and quarantined Black sailors at Southern ports.

並將南方港口的非裔水手們隔離起來。

The pamphlet inspired Louisiana to ban anti-slavery literature,

這本小冊子也讓 路易斯安那州禁止廢奴演講，

and both North and South Carolina cracked down on Black education

而南北加州則限制非裔民眾受教育，

to prevent literacy among enslaved peoples.

以防止黑奴認識字。

Southern officials even placed a bounty on Walker’s head

南方的政府官員甚至 懸賞沃克的項上人頭，

worth the modern equivalent of $322,000.

給出相當於現在 32 萬 2 千美金的高價。

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

雖然沃克的朋友都要他逃走， 他仍拒絕放棄自己的目標。

Tragically, his bravery couldn’t protect him

可悲的是，他的勇敢並沒有保護他，

from the deadliest disease of his time.

讓他戰勝當時最致命的疾病。

In August 1830, Walker was found dead.

1830 年八月， 有人發現沃克已經身亡。

And while his associates declared him the victim of assassination,

雖然他的夥伴宣稱他是被刺殺的，

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

但現在大家普遍認為， 他是因肺結核而離世。

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

沃克死後，他的言論仍繼續激起回響。

Frederick Douglass credited him as the originator of radical abolitionism,

弗雷德里克‧道格拉斯 稱他為激進廢奴主義的創始者，

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

《呼籲》一書也啟發 許多最具影響力的人，

of the 20th century liberation movement.

他們都是 20 世紀時 解放運動的要角。

From Malcolm X’s militant approach to Black resistance,

從麥爾坎·X的武裝行動到黑人抗爭，

to James Cone’s writing on Black spirituality,

到詹姆斯‧孔恩針對黑人靈性的書寫，

Walker’s legacy remains crucially important to the history

沃克的遺產仍對歷史充滿重要影響，

of Black resistance movements—

不僅影響了非裔族群的抗爭，

and their visions for the future.

也影響了他們對未來的願景。