Final answer:
Frederick Douglass overcame the barrier of being denied education by secretly learning to read and write, using his interactions with white children as opportunities to learn.
Step-by-step explanation:
One way Frederick Douglass overcame the obstacle of being denied an education during his childhood was by learning to read and write secretly. Despite being born into slavery and subject to laws that prohibited the education of enslaved individuals, Douglass recognized the power of literacy.
He ingeniously used his limited interactions with the sons of his enslaver and other white children to learn the skill that he correctly believed would be a pathway to freedom. With determination, he engaged these children as his tutors, exchanging bread for their assistance in reading, thus turning every chance encounter into an opportunity to learn. It was through this secret education that Douglass laid the foundation for his future as a prominent abolitionist and writer.