The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

David Walker was an American Black abolitionist born free in 1785 to an enslaved father and a free mother in North Carolina. He witnessed slavery up close, but from an outsider's perspective. His "Appeal" was first published in 1829 as a pamphlet denouncing slavery as the most oppressive institution in world history.

Walker's argument combines passionate anger with sarcastic humor. He questions what it means to be an American and insists that the same basic rights be granted to every citizen. Though it was originally published nearly two centuries ago, Walker's "Appeal" remains crucial to today's human rights discourse.

The Civil Rights Book Club seeks to provide context and provoke discussion about today's top social justice concerns. Each week, we profile a book, a movie, or other media that represent the diversity of the contemporary social justice movement. You can help support The Leadership Conference by purchasing Book Club selections through the Amazon.com link on our website.