Frederick Douglas

 

During the second EOTO presentations, Frederick Douglas stood out to me the most because I saw a lot of myself in him. He was self-determined, stood for causes that disenfranchised identities that weren't his, and he made an impression on the world by being innovative. His hard work earned him the noblest positions in the country having worked with five presidents in six different roles during his life. The first being Abraham Lincoln who Douglas convinced should let black men serve in the Union army. This was unheard of for any other black person during that time, and even for decades after. This made me wonder how much of a rhetorical communicator was he to convince multiple presidents of the United States to work for them. Frederick Douglas was a trailblazer of his time and certainly someone I would like to embody.

Some life experiences that earned Douglas the distinction of one of the greatest civil rights leaders ever began with him escaping slavery from near my hometown in Baltimore where shortly thereafter he taught himself and other freed slaves to read. Teaching a slave to read was highly forbidden at the time so he was taking a huge risk in taking steps towards educating black people. In his endeavor to educate himself and other black people, his innovative mind led him to buy a printing press and start the Northern Star, a publication started during the Civil War, getting its namesake from the star that would guide slaves to freedom. He funded it from the funds he collected through his speaking tour in the U.K. Similar to the Freedom's Journal his publication sought to increase literacy among black people.

Not only was Douglas an abolitionist, but was a high proponent for women's rights as well. His advocacy for women's rights was not exclusive to black women, but all women, and he was even one of a few men to attend the Seneca Fall's Women's Rights Convention in 1848. 40 years later in a speech before the International Council of Women, Douglas insisted that women should be the spokesperson for the movement rather than men, although having men as allies certainly helped.

Looking at Frederick Douglas' life in retrospect, he accomplished a great deal, considering he was a black man during the pre and post civil war eras during times when most black people wouldn't even dare to speak out publicly not just on issues regarding race, but women's issues. It is interesting to see how the women's movement didn't reject him as an advocate and spokesperson because of the color of his skin, but embraced him, probably because they needed all the support they could get. Douglas was truly a distinguished man, and the precedent that he set for civil rights movements have are still echoed today.

Fun Fact: Frederick Douglas was the most photographed person in the 20th century!