We're starting a new book right now. New year, new book, Second Corinthians, why don't you

turn there with me? Second Corinthians chapter one. Second Corinthians chapter one. Booker T. Washington

describes meeting an ex-slave from Virginia in his book Up from Slavery.

And that Up From Slavery book is kind of a must read. If you haven't read that, I would recommend it.

But he writes in there about meeting this ex-slave, and the story is kind of amazing to me.

Here's what he wrote. He said, Booker T. wrote, I found that this man,

this ex-slave, had made a contract with his master two or three years previous to the

Emancipation Proclamation, to the effect that the slave was to be permitted to buy himself to freedom.

By paying so much per year for his body, while he was paying for himself, he was to be permitted to labor, where and for whom he pleased, finding he could secure better wages in Ohio, he went there from Virginia.

When freedom came though with the Emancipation Proclamation, he was still in debt to his master some three hundred

dollars um but notwithstanding that uh in the emancipation proclamation not only freedom from slavery

but also freedom from any obligation to his master but this is what booker t writes he says

this black man walked the greater portion of the distance

back to where his old master lived in Virginia and placed every last dollar with interest in his hands.

In talking to me about this, the man told me that he knew that he did not have to pay his debt,

but they had given his word to his master, and his word he had never broken.

He felt that he really couldn't enjoy his freedom until he had perfectly fulfilled his promise.

What an amazing level of integrity.

A guy keeping his word, I think if I were that guy, I might have gone and shot the other guy,

but not put $300 in his hand.

I mean, a slave owner.

I mean, what a horrible thing.

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