Identity

Ellen,

Reading of your decision to walk in disguise as a means of escaping slavery was incredibly astonishing. I wonder how, if in any way your opinion of your husband changed as a result of having to take on an alternate identity. I also question how this affected William's sense of self. Furthermore, I have read many stories of white-passing individuals choosing to conceal their identities and distance themselves from their non-passing family members, as it would reveal their truth. This, of course, was done to gain freedom and later the opportunity to vote and access to certain jobs. The fact that other friends/ family members chose to not "out" the person is also quite interesting because it shows, in many ways, that they understand the struggle as well. The ethics surrounding this idea can be debated, but it is unfortunate that people even had/have to consider this. Having to conceal/ change one's true identity to make a better life for themselves is incredibly unfortunate.