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A militant vegetarian, feminist and abolitionist way ahead of his time, Lay’s message is more relevant today than ever as described in a new graphic novel by Vancouver’s David Lester.
He is one of the most important abolitionists that history almost overlooked. Benjamin Lay persistently protested to his fellow Quakers, many of whom owned slaves, that slavery was irredeemably evil.
In his time, this was considered radical thinking. Lay was met with prejudice and backlash. It would take years after his death before Quakers finally banned slave-owning amongst their members although the Quaker abolitionist movement was eventually influenced by Lay. Quakers went on to become some of the most outspoken abolitionists.
Due out November 2, Prophet Against Slavery: Benjamin Lay, A Graphic Novel (Beacon Press $16) written and illustrated by David Lester, and edited by Paul Buhle and Marcus Rediker, chronicles Lay’s remarkable life.
A believer in non-violence, Lay ingeniously used guerrilla theatre to express his radical ideas. In one of his more well-known actions, sometimes called the 'Pokeberry Juice Incident', Lay attended the 1738 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of Quakers with an animal bladder containing red berry juice hidden inside a hollowed-out book. He stood up, announcing to the gathering that included rich Quaker slave-owners, Thus shall God shed the blood of those persons who enslave their fellow creatures. He then plunged a sword into the book and the blood splattered on the heads and bodies of the horrified slave-keepers.
Needless to say, Lay’s fellow Quakers were not fond of him. They attempted to silence Lay through censure, mocked him and his appearance, and downplayed his ideas as those of a man driven by strife and contention. Lay was heckled and often dismissed as crazy. But Lay had great moral courage and ignored their comments. He continued his direct action to shame slave owners and traders wherever he encountered them.
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