In a world where knowledge was illegal for some, the bravest acts happened in whispers.
In the novel WHY, Miss Eleanor Leary—a young, idealistic Irish immigrant hired to tutor the children of a wealthy plantation owner—makes a decision that risks her livelihood and her life: She secretly teaches Mandy, a Black slave girl, to read and to appreciate the classics’; Contributions of blacks, in both modern-day and historical societies. It’s quite a revelation; However, one with seismic consequences.
This storyline, though fictional, echoes a real and often-overlooked truth: during slavery, teaching an enslaved person to read was not only discouraged—it was criminal.
The Literacy Laws That Enforced Ignorance
Following slave revolts like Nat Turner’s in 1831, many Southern states passed laws that explicitly forbade teaching slaves to read or write. White southerners feared that literacy would empower rebellion, enable escape, or even allow slaves to question the very legitimacy of their bondage.
In states like Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, breaking these laws could lead to fines, imprisonment, or violence. For enslaved people, the punishment was often brutal—Whippings…lashing; The separation from family, or worse.
Despite this…; Brave individuals—both Black and white—risked everything to share the power of words.
Unsung Educators of the Underground
Across the antebellum South, countless courageous souls defied the law to teach. Enslaved people taught each other in secret gatherings. Freed Blacks held nighttime classes behind locked doors. Abolitionist women and Christian missionaries disguised their efforts as religious instruction. Every letter taught was an act of resistance.
The character of Eleanor Leary, though fictional, is a composite of these real-life figures—individuals who believed that education was a birthright, not a privilege. And Mandy’s journey mirrors that of so many who learned to read by candlelight, from scraps of paper, hiding from those who’d rather see them broken than enlightened.
The Modern Battle for Educational Access
The struggle for literacy hasn’t ended—it’s evolved.
Today, we see echoes of those old battles in efforts to restrict curriculum, ban books, and defund libraries. In marginalized communities, especially those shaped by the legacy of systemic oppression, access to quality education remains a battleground.
Literacy empowers. It’s not just the ability to read words—it’s the power to read the world.
The Quiet Revolution of a Page Turned
When Mandy begins to read, her world changes. She starts to question the lies she’s been told about her worth, her capabilities, her place in the world. Literacy becomes more than a skill—it becomes her liberation.
That same potential exists today. Every time we fight for inclusive education, we are continuing Eleanor’s Leary’s rebellion.
A Challenge to the Reader
Who taught you to read?
What doors did that open for you?
And who around you still wait for someone brave enough to teach them?
Share your story—or tag a teacher who changed your life. Because even in 2025, the most radical act you can do… might still be teaching someone to read.
Remember:
Knowledge is Power!
- Forbidden Lessons: The Secret Teachers Who Defied Slavery’s Laws - May 13, 2025
- Sisterhood Divided: The Psychological Cost of Slavery on Family Bonds - April 24, 2025
- The Legacy of Slavery: How It Shaped Modern Racism - September 26, 2024
As an educator, this post hit me hard. It reminded me why I chose this path in the first place. We often forget that access to literacy wasn’t always a given and in many ways, still isn’t. Eleanor and Mandy may be characters in a novel, but they’re also mirrors of real courage. This is the kind of story that should be required reading.
This blog lowkey blew my mind. Education has always been a power move either to keep people down or lift them up. The way it connects slavery-era literacy bans to today’s book bans? Wildly accurate. Like… it’s giving history repeating itself 👀📚🔥. Major respect for calling it out.
Wow. This gave me a new perspective on how literacy is still a political issue. I never realized the depth of its historical roots in rebellion and resistance. I’m fired up and ready to be someone’s Eleanor. Sharing this with my entire group chat.
This book should be displayed at the entrance of every library. It beautifully illustrates why our work still matters today. The fight for literacy, access, and truth continues and this piece frames that fight with such grace and urgency. Eleanor Leary’s fictional defiance is our ongoing mission. I hope to one day see the book in every library. Well, if we did that for Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird), we can do that for Marvin Blake.
This post brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of my grandmother’s stories how hard she fought just to go to school in the Jim Crow South. Mandy’s journey feels personal. I appreciate how the blog honors the bravery of those who dared to learn, and those who dared to teach.