William D. Matthews was born in the time of slavery in America as a free African American man in Baltimore, Maryland. He moved to Leavenworth, Kansas where he established a Hotel and Restaurant. William would serve people in the front of the restaurant while he smuggled enslaved people through the back who were escaping to the north on the underground railroad. 

William D. Matthews was fearless and selfless. He put his life on the line just to help other people get a better life. He knew that if he was caught he would most likely be killed for his actions. I admire his courage to step up in the face of danger and help so many people in such a big way. He is a role model and teaches us that you should stand up for what you know is right.

I used my art to illustrate how William D. Matthews put his own life on the line to help other people. He was the first African American captain in the United States military. My artwork is a picture of the emblem of the unit which William D. Matthews led during the Civil War. I illustrated this significant accomplishment by collaging pieces of paper that I cut out from various magazines.

From William’s story I learned what sacrifice and fearlessness means: to lay your life on the line just to help other people have a better life. His story is relevant today because it shows that you need to stand up for what is right and what you believe in.