North Into Freedom: The Autobiography of John Malvin, Free Negro, 1795-1880

John Malvin was a free black who left Virginia in 1827 for Ohio where he held a variety of jobs including cook, carpenter, and canal boat captain. He was a Baptist minister, abolitionist, and supporter of public education. Originally published in 1879, this story is one of hard work, a struggle for equality, and a belief in progress. Allan Peskin, professor of history at Cleveland State University, notes in his introduction that Malvin's autobiography mirrors the man: direct, unadorned, dignified, and optimistic.