Jarena Lee's 1836 autobiography, The Life and Religious Experience of Jarena Lee, a Coloured Lady, has a stunning remark. Though she also emphasizes a different source of knowledge and authority, Lee in this particular text reflects on her lack of formal schooling and how she feels it has hampered her intellectual development.

This passage is taken from My Bondage and My Freedom, written by Frederick Douglass in 1855. Douglass is refuting the pervasive, racist assumptions of his era that depicted Black people as naturally lethargic and uninterested in this particular text.

According to Thomas Jefferson, white people especially those with skill or talent are not willing or able to engage in the type of low-paying, "servile" work that slaves are compelled to perform.

This sentence describes a situation where workers initially express dissatisfaction, which eventually fades without their demands being met. Most workers resume work, but the employer continues to lower their wages, hinting at ongoing conflict and possibly future unrest.

The phrase "attempt at 'oppression'" refers to some action by the corporation perceived as oppressive (harsh or unjust treatment). Because of what the speaker heard, they chose to support the strikers (likely employees protesting against the corporation).

The people being targeted may not even be the actual leaders; there's doubt or unfairness. Those in power (the corporation) try to control individuals by targeting their families. People in power should help others, not offend them.