Why I Free Slaves: Teacher Robert Birk

In Robert Birk’s 8th-grade English class, his students read The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. The abolitionist’s powerful autobiography tells of Douglass’ escape from slavery and life as a free man, overcoming obstacles to become an influential writer and statesmen. This year, Birk decided to bring more to the lesson. “A teachable moment comes when something happens in the classroom that allows for a meaningful conversation,” Birk says. “It’s a moment that’s an opportunity to learn.” The teacher in Potomac, Maryland, wanted his students to learn about the existence of modern slavery. He wanted to give his students the chance to explore Douglass’ personal experiences in the context of slavery today. Teaching modern slavery is important to Birk because it’s an injustice that resonates with young people—he believes students need to learn meaningful things in order to be motivated to learn. “Modern slavery sparks the curiosity, the passion, the frustration of these students,” he says. “When they find that it exists, they are upset, and they want to do something about it.” The reaction Birk saw most from his students was shock. “It was one of those revelatory moments,” he recalls. “When I said, ‘There are more slaves today than during the time when the U.S. legalized slavery,’ their jaws dropped.” Many people the world over do not know that slavery still exists, even though it is illegal everywhere. Freeing One Community at a Time Birk’s goal was simply to introduce his pupils to modern slavery and invite them to think about it. He decided his duty was not only to instruct and inform but also to set an example. Together, Birk and his class started a fundraising campaign. Birk was the first person to give. The students quickly raised the funds, donating babysitting money, and money they had saved up for new clothes. No parent contributions were allowed. “I wanted them to make the choice to sacrifice to help someone else be free,” Birk says. “And they did that. When the students started bringing in overwhelming amounts of money, I thought, ‘There’s something to this.’” But Birk’s students wanted to do even more. He didn’t push or force them. He insists he was only giving them the chance to accomplish great things. When he first presented his modern slavery lesson, he didn’t know how his kids would respond, and they responded passionately. Soon it was the students leading the fundraising effort. After freeing an entire village, they decided to free two. In a few days, Birk’s class donated $4,200 to help FTS free slaves. Then they decided to contribute more than money. From Lesson to Fundraiser to Movement After the fundraising success, Birk found himself coaching his students, at their insistence, to give talks and lead discussions on slavery and FTS. “We wanted to raise awareness throughout the school and our community,” says student Niamh Haynos. “We decided to make presentations, displays, and posters to raise awareness.” They put up artwork in the cafeteria. They spoke to fellow […]

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