Can you please elaborate the following:
We intend by a simple representation of facts to lay our case before the public...to shield ourselves against the consequent evils...our race alone are to remain in this state,while knowledgeabd civilizations are shredding their enlivening rays over the rest of the human family?"
What is the context of this sentence? Who wrote it?
It is the opening editorial in Freedom's Journal (1827), an African American newspaper published in New York.
Ohh! That helps! Thanks.
The author says he's going to write the facts. He wants to protect himself and other blacks from bad things. These bad things (injustices) are happening only to blacks -- at the time that other civilizations are giving more freedoms and justice to whites.
The passage you provided seems to be expressing a desire to present information and expose certain facts to the public. The phrase "we intend by a simple representation of facts to lay our case before the public" suggests that the speaker wants to communicate their perspective and present evidence to support their position. They may be aiming to persuade others or bring attention to certain issues.
The subsequent phrase "to shield ourselves against the consequent evils" implies that the speaker wants to protect themselves or their community from negative consequences that might arise from the situation they are addressing. The specific nature of these "evils" is not clear from the passage you provided.
The passage then concludes with the question, "our race alone are to remain in this state, while knowledge and civilizations are shedding their enlivening rays over the rest of the human family?" This question implies a sense of frustration or concern about the perceived lack of progress or development for "our race" compared to the advancement of knowledge and civilizations in other parts of the world. It suggests a desire for progress and improvement for their own community.