Freedom Over Me: Eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life
Critical Analysis
Bryan creates an engaging masterpiece by using free verse to bring to life slaves owned by the Fairchild's. Bryan used an appraisal of the Fairchild’s estate as a reference aid to bring a voice to the voiceless. While the appraisal does not contain any personal information about the slaves that lived on property, Bryan used their names to imagine their pictures, stories, and dreams. Bryan began by creating portraits for each person. He then studied them and listened for their voices. He used what he heard to create a free verse poem that depicts each person's role on the plantation and another poem that focuses on the person’s dreams. We learn each slave’s “real” name, the name they were given at birth by their parents or for the slaves born into slavery the name that the other members call them in private. Each slave’s initial portrait is carefully drawn with little life or color, like a black and white portrait. The pictures associated with each slave’s dreams poem bring in color and vibrancy that allows readers to feel the life the slave's dream to live. The words and the pictures allow readers to feel the hardships suffered by these people. Bryan does an excellent job of using the slaves’ life experiences and dreams to help the reader understand that their lives are priceless compared to the monetary value placed on them in the appraisal.
Review Excerpts
From Social Justice Books:
“In a book that emphasizes the full humanity of these individuals, that speaks the imagined truths of their lives but also gives weight and breath to their imagined hopes and dreams, the atrocity of slavery is represented first and foremost by that purchase price accompanying every portrait.”
From Common Sense Media:
“Free-verse, first-person narratives effectively give personalities, hopes, and dreams to the individuals who were only names with a monetary value noted in an actual 1828 will.”
From Publishers Weekly:
“His portraits show the men, women, and children gazing out at readers, the contours of their faces traced as if carved from wood, while strong rhythmic outlines mimic stained glass, echoing the sense of sacred memory.”
Connections
The book contains a copy of the actual appraisal used to create the poems. Students can use the picture to discuss primary sources.
This book can also be paired with the following books to discuss slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation:
I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Lauren Tarshis
Never Caught, The Story of Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong and Kathleen Van Cleve
I Am Harriet Tubman by Brad Meltzer
I Am Abraham Lincoln by Brad Meltzer
Students can use the information provided by Bryan to continue the slaves’ stories.
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