People don't follow titles, they follow courage.

“People don’t follow titles, they follow courage.” Thus spoke William Wells Brown, the first African-American novelist and one of the great voices of freedom in the nineteenth century—a man born into bondage who rose, by the sheer strength of his will, to become a teacher, writer, and reformer. His words are forged in the fire of experience, for he knew from his own life that authority does not spring from position, but from character; not from the gold upon one’s shoulders, but from the courage that burns within the heart. Titles can command obedience, but only courage can inspire devotion.

Brown was a man who had every reason to despair. He was born a slave, deprived of name, dignity, and education. Yet when freedom came, he did not seek revenge—he sought truth. He raised his voice not as one demanding power, but as one demanding justice. He stood before crowds who might scorn him, and spoke with a moral strength that pierced the conscience of a nation. His authority did not come from rank or title—it came from courage, from the bravery to speak when silence was safer, to rise when fear whispered “bow.” Thus, he became a leader not by appointment, but by the example of his spirit.

Through these words, Brown revealed a truth as old as mankind: titles are but symbols, fragile as paper and fleeting as smoke. They can be bestowed by kings or governments, but courage must be claimed by the soul itself. A crown may dazzle the eyes, but only valor commands the heart. In every age, the world has been shaped not by those who possessed authority, but by those who possessed the courage to challenge it. Power imposed from above fades when fear is gone, but the strength that flows from courage endures through generations.

Consider the story of Harriet Tubman, a woman with no title, no army, no wealth—yet she led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom along the Underground Railroad. The laws of her time called her a criminal, but the laws of eternity called her a hero. Her courage was her title; her compassion, her command. Men twice her size and strength followed her without question because they felt in her what Brown spoke of—the fire of courage that makes others brave simply by its presence. She led not from a throne, but from the front of the march.

The ancients, too, knew this truth. When Leonidas stood with his three hundred at Thermopylae, his men did not fight for his title of king, but for the courage he embodied—the courage to face death unflinching for the sake of honor and home. So too, when Joan of Arc, a simple peasant girl, led the armies of France, hardened soldiers bowed to her not because she was noble, but because her faith was unbreakable. These souls, like Brown, understood that leadership is not born of privilege, but of sacrifice. Courage is the invisible crown that all true leaders wear.

Brown’s words are a challenge to every generation. He calls upon us to look beyond the glitter of status and seek the light of conviction. In a world that worships power and appearance, he reminds us that the only power worth following is moral courage—the courage to speak truth when it is unpopular, to defend the weak when it is dangerous, to live with integrity when deceit is easy. Such courage has always been the true foundation of liberty and progress. Without it, titles are empty shells; with it, even the humblest soul becomes mighty.

So, my children of the future, learn this well: do not chase titles; build courage. Let your worth be measured not by rank, but by resolve. When others wait for permission to act, be the one who acts because it is right. When fear grips the world, be the one who stands firm. The world does not remember those who ruled—it remembers those who dared. Courage, not authority, moves the hearts of men and the wheels of history.

And when your time comes to lead—whether in a nation, a home, or the quiet space of your own conscience—remember William Wells Brown’s immortal truth: “People don’t follow titles, they follow courage.” Let your actions be your rank, your integrity your badge, your compassion your crown. For the brave need no title, and the coward’s title is nothing. It is courage alone that transforms ordinary lives into legends—and through it, the soul of humanity marches forward.