The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © Susan Rouchard
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
THE FREEDOM OF LITERACY
Miss Mathilda swiveled her head to the right and then the left before shutting the door to the makeshift classroom. Her dark eyes shone as she turned to the children.
“Open your readers to page twelve. Cicely, please read the first paragraph.”
Ten-year-old Cicely’s heart thumped. Taking a deep breath, she read, “‘The fly—says, I fly in—the air…’ What good do it do us to read? It’s agin’ the law.”
“Some laws are meant to be broken.” A tear glistened on the teacher’s bronze cheek. “Mr. Douglass says, ‘Once you learn to read you will forever be free.’”
Black History Month is upon us and there are so many untold stories to be shared. This story is loosely based on unsung hero Mother Mathilda Beasely. To read her story CLICK HERE. And to learn a little more about the Anti-Literacy Laws CLICK HERE
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 