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

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In 1830, David Walker sewed a pamphlet into the lining of a coat. The volume was thin enough to be hidden, but its content was far from insubstantial. At the time, many members of the US government considered this pamphlet to be one of the most dangerous documents in American history. But what was this incendiary document? And who exactly was the man who wrote it? Keenan Norris investigates.

Walker’s "Appeal" calls for African-Americans to have solidarity with oppressed Black people around the world, the fundamental basis of Pan-Africanism. Yet Walker also vehemently opposed the Colonization Plan, which sought to relocate formerly enslaved African-Americans to Africa. Are these two positions in contradiction with one another? Why or why not?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Keenan Norris
  • Director Tomás Pichardo-Espaillat
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Senior Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Senior Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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