In this short episode, I introduce the work of African-American poet Phyllis Wheatley as no less revolutionary than the writing of Thomases Paine & Jefferson. Enslaved, taken forcefully from her home continent under brutal conditions, named for the ship that carried her and the man who bought her, Wheatley lived and wrote under extreme and traumatic circumstances. Her poetry subtly blends classical allusions and religious principles to assert the moral, intellectual, and literary equality of enslaved Africans to an audience primarily composed of white Europeans, many of whom were implicated and involved in the practice of slavery themselves. If you are interested in learning more about the publication of Wheatley's first book (the first written by an African-American), or about her life, I recommend this blog post from Wake Forest University. There is also a powerful poem written by Eve L. Ewing in response to Wheatley's life and work, written in connection with the 1619 Project.