100 Objects #5: Blue Back Speller
Why was an ordinary schoolbook so treasured that enslaved people risked their lives for it
Why did an ordinary schoolbook become so treasured that enslaved people risked their lives to possess it?
In this episode, Roman and historian Imani Perry follow the Webster Blue Back Speller from the early days of the United States, to the heart of Black intellectual life. Through the lives of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, Roman and Imani uncover how a single object became a gateway to literacy, self-determination, and an enduring debate about what education, citizenship, and freedom should mean in America.
A History of the United States in 100 Objects is produced by BBC Studios and 99% Invisible.
Host: Roman Mars
Producers: Priscilla Alabi, Brenna Daldorph, Isaac Fisher, Ellie Lightfoot
EPs: Annie Brown, Courtney Harrell, Kathy Tu
On radio
Broadcasts
- Mon 23 Nov 202604:32BBC World Service
- Mon 23 Nov 202613:32BBC World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa, News Internet & West and Central Africa
