Abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who lived in my city (Rochester, N.Y.) for some 25 years, is being honored for his 200th birthday in a special way.
Douglass was born a slave. (We don't know his actual birth year; he accepted 1818 as the most likely year.) While a slave, he taught himself to read and write. He eventually escaped slavery and later settled here, publishing a newspaper (The North Star), and becoming a noted writer and speaker (even at the risk of being caught and sent back South), and a friend of Susan B. Anthony.
Indeed, one of the major bridges in downtown Rochester is the "Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Bridge." There's even a statue of him with Anthony.
Another statue of him is in a local park.
A coalition here has started the "Re-Energizing the Legacy of Frederick Douglass" initiative, part of which involves placing new statues of Douglass (for which Douglass's great-great-great-grandson served as the model!) around places that were significant in his life. The first statues are going up this week; a total of 13 statues are planned.
I think that is great. I have long admired his courage and determination, and have used his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in whole or part in my classes for years. Last year, for example, my middle school students read the chapters about how he taught himself to read and write.
Douglass is a genuine American hero and an important part of our history.
If you have not done so, read his autobiography. It's short, but inspiring.
Pax et bonum
No comments:
Post a Comment