[2] The Colored National Convention of 1855 delegates ranged from famous African Americans like Frederick Douglass, and Mary Ann Shadd,[3][4] to unknowns like Rachel Cliff.
[6] In addition, the female delegates’ husbands were not invited to the convention; such independence makes the women’s presence still more remarkable.
[10] The delegates recognized that while the abolition of slavery was an important issue, it would be useless if the racial prejudice that had grown up in the North was allowed to persist.
Then, they continued to discuss the many merits of apprenticeships, and throughout the convention minutes, there is an emphasis on education, specifically in the area of mechanical trades.
Overall, the convention provides a hopeful message that by increasing the availability of knowledge and opportunities for young, free African Americans, a better reward could await those still suffering under the yoke of slavery upon the advent of their freedom.