Final answer:
Frederick Douglass organized secret meetings to teach other slaves to read and write, recognizing literacy as a key to empowerment.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the first things Frederick Douglass did to illustrate his leadership in the slave community, even as a young man, was organize secret meetings to teach other slaves how to read and write.
Recognizing the connection between literacy and freedom, Douglass valued education as a means of empowerment. By age 15, he began educating other enslaved people, sharing the precious knowledge he had acquired. This critical step not only provided practical skills to the enslaved but also fostered a sense of hope and resistance within the oppressed community.