Frederick Douglass: A Man For The Ages, p. 4
Dublin Core
Title
Frederick Douglass: A Man For The Ages, p. 4
Description
“When one recounts the civil rights era in America from the dark days of slavery before the Civil War to sit-ins in the 1960’s and the efforts today to preserve the gains of the past, a number of remarkable strong-willed persons come to mind.
For his era (1817-1885), black leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass stands out as one of true champions of racial equality and a powerful inspiration to all who have the desire and ambition to succeed.
His quick mind and proud spirit made his life as a laborer and house servant intolerable to him, and in 1838 he escaped to New York, later settling in Massachusetts.
Influenced greatly by William Lloyd Garrison’s Liberator, he became well informed on abolitionist issues.
In 1841 he made a memorable speech against slavery at an abolitionist rally which eventually led to a series of speaking engagements and personal writings on the issue of emancipation.
The most daring and noteworthy writing was his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He travelled to England and shared the book with Englishmen.
It was this experience that strongly reinforces Douglass’ anti-slavery efforts. For the first time in his life he was treated as a man and an equal. The resultant effect upon his character was tremendous.
He began to conceive emancipation not simply as physical freedom; but as social equality and economic and spiritual opportunity.
In Rochester, New York, Douglass delivered a speech on Independence Day in which he bravely pointed out the hypocrisy of the times;
“What, to the American slave is your Fourth of July, I answer: A day that reveals to him, more than all other days of the year, the gross injustices and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham.”
Rochester was also the city where Douglass founded his abolitionist newspaper, the North Star.
His bold spirit and compassion for all races is best expressed in his words, “I am for any movement whenever there is a good cause to promote, a right to assert, a chain to be broken, a burden to be removed, or a wrong to be redressed.”
What makes Douglass’ crusading actions so remarkable is to contrast it with the times. Whites lynching blacks was commonplace. Blacks were regarded as property instead of human beings.
Immediately after emancipation, a new form of slavery and injustice sprang up in the forms of Black Codes and other devices. Desport the blatant racism that pervaded his era Douglass pressed forward and continued to speak for the rights of Blacks.
Over 100 years later, Frederick Douglass would serve as an exemplary model to inspire our youth.
At a time when federal education receives a low priority from this Administration and minority school dropouts are at alarming rates, Douglass’ words on education have special meaning:
“If a man is without education, he is but a pitiable object; a giant in boyd, a pigmy in intellect, and, at best, but half a man … Education, on the other hand, means emancipation; it means light and liberty.”
Mr. Douglass we need your forceful personality back then - and we need the wisdom embodies in your oratory today.”
For his era (1817-1885), black leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass stands out as one of true champions of racial equality and a powerful inspiration to all who have the desire and ambition to succeed.
His quick mind and proud spirit made his life as a laborer and house servant intolerable to him, and in 1838 he escaped to New York, later settling in Massachusetts.
Influenced greatly by William Lloyd Garrison’s Liberator, he became well informed on abolitionist issues.
In 1841 he made a memorable speech against slavery at an abolitionist rally which eventually led to a series of speaking engagements and personal writings on the issue of emancipation.
The most daring and noteworthy writing was his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He travelled to England and shared the book with Englishmen.
It was this experience that strongly reinforces Douglass’ anti-slavery efforts. For the first time in his life he was treated as a man and an equal. The resultant effect upon his character was tremendous.
He began to conceive emancipation not simply as physical freedom; but as social equality and economic and spiritual opportunity.
In Rochester, New York, Douglass delivered a speech on Independence Day in which he bravely pointed out the hypocrisy of the times;
“What, to the American slave is your Fourth of July, I answer: A day that reveals to him, more than all other days of the year, the gross injustices and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham.”
Rochester was also the city where Douglass founded his abolitionist newspaper, the North Star.
His bold spirit and compassion for all races is best expressed in his words, “I am for any movement whenever there is a good cause to promote, a right to assert, a chain to be broken, a burden to be removed, or a wrong to be redressed.”
What makes Douglass’ crusading actions so remarkable is to contrast it with the times. Whites lynching blacks was commonplace. Blacks were regarded as property instead of human beings.
Immediately after emancipation, a new form of slavery and injustice sprang up in the forms of Black Codes and other devices. Desport the blatant racism that pervaded his era Douglass pressed forward and continued to speak for the rights of Blacks.
Over 100 years later, Frederick Douglass would serve as an exemplary model to inspire our youth.
At a time when federal education receives a low priority from this Administration and minority school dropouts are at alarming rates, Douglass’ words on education have special meaning:
“If a man is without education, he is but a pitiable object; a giant in boyd, a pigmy in intellect, and, at best, but half a man … Education, on the other hand, means emancipation; it means light and liberty.”
Mr. Douglass we need your forceful personality back then - and we need the wisdom embodies in your oratory today.”
Creator
Augustus Hawkins
Publisher
Baltimore African American
Date
1986-24-6
Collection
Citation
Augustus Hawkins, “Frederick Douglass: A Man For The Ages, p. 4,” African American Fourth of July, accessed April 29, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/32.