Someone Knows My Name

One of the most crucial themes of Someone Knows My Name is the power of language to acknowledge a person’s humanity, to fight against slavery, and to connect people to each other. Starting with the title and Chekura’s statement, it is evident that the acknowledgement of names—which is an essential part of language—confirms a person’s humanity and identity. Aminata demonstrates her understanding of the power of the written word throughout the text. She loves to read and builds connections with the people who teach her to read and write. Mamed, the slave overseer at Appleby’s indigo plantation, is the first person to teach Aminata to read. Lindo buys Aminata chiefly because of her ability to read, and he and his wife treat Aminata as a person with intellect, giving her respectable jobs that involve reading and writing. Even in Shelburne, Aminata’s ability to read helps her obtain a job at the newspaper, and her literacy helps her learn new things, stay informed, and support herself.

Upon arriving in New York City, the simple act of writing her name in the register at the Fraunces Tavern gives Aminata the feeling of humanity: “I had now written my name on a public document, and I was a person, with just as much right to life and liberty as the man who claimed to own me” (242).