David Walker and His Call "The Lord will raise up colored historians in succeeding generations, to present the crimes of this nation to the world that then looks on." » David Walker was born on the edge of white America, but his vision extended far beyond those limits. His views ran deep into the future of black people. From 1829 until his death in 1830, David Walker was the most controversial and admired black person in America. Walker believed in all kinds of social relationships as autonomy was preferable to dependence on others. He believes it is essential for self-determination. Walker argued that freedom was the highest human right ordained by God, in the sense that African people should raise their voices to defend their own interests and take responsibility to speak for their freedom. Thus, Appeal by David Walker was born in 1829 (Turner 3). David Walker was born in Wilmington, North Carolina on September 28, 1785. His father was a slave and his mother a free woman. In North Carolina, the law during slavery said that if a newborn African mother was free, that child would be free too. This law ensured that every African newborn was free, regardless of the status of his father. It was a great opportunity for David Walker and his life. His mother passed on his free status to him and she also raised him in great opposition to slavery. It is said that his father died before he was born or when he was a young boy. Walker witnessed the brutality and horrors of slavery firsthand during his travels throughout the South. This experience led him to want to fight against the institution of slavery and its inhumane conditions. At the age of thirty, he turned to our education as an essential touchstone for a critical understanding of our modern reality (Turner 11). The Call of David Walker has influenced many people throughout American history, particularly those of African descent. His fight for justice for black people will never be buried. He is one of the most influential and controversial figures since the beginning of the United States. Works Cited PageTurner, James. David Walker's Appeal: To the colored citizens of the world, but particularly and most expressly to those of the United States of America. Baltimore, MD: Black Classic Press, Print. Sidbury, James. “David Walker’s Call to the Colored Citizens of the World.” The Journal of Southern History 68.1 (February 2002): 164-165. Center for History Studies. Internet. April 21, 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/634579/David-Walker