Frederick Douglass was one of the original greats (OG) of education. Douglass understood the monumental power of engaging in conversation and challenging people’s values. Douglass spoke on a platform of life experience, liberty & perseverance.
Frederick Douglass stands as a towering figure in American history, embodying the spirit of resilience and the pursuit of justice. Born into slavery, he defied oppressive chains to become a powerful orator, writer, and abolitionist. A man who spoke with passion & righteous indignation.
Douglass not only fought for the emancipation of his fellow slaves but also tirelessly advocated for the principles of equality and freedom that define the American dream. His eloquence and courage inspire patriotism by reminding us that the pursuit of liberty and justice is a shared journey, and his legacy continues to shape the nation's commitment to these ideals.
Douglass was born a slave in Maryland in 1818. He never knew who his father was and his mother died when he was seven.
“The frequent hearing of my mistress reading the Bible aloud … awakened my curiosity … to this mystery of reading, and roused in me the desire to learn. Up to this time I had known nothing whatever of this wonderful art, and my ignorance and inexperience of what it could do for me, as well as my confidence in my mistress, emboldened me to ask her to teach me to read … My mistress seemed almost as proud of my progress as if I had been her own child, and supposing that her husband would be as well pleased, she made no secret of what she was doing for me. Indeed, she exultingly told him of the aptness of her pupil and of her intention to persevere, as she felt it her duty to do, in teaching me, at least, to read the Bible.”
–Frederick Douglass
Education Will Subvert Slavery
On Dec. 1, 1850, Frederick Douglass gave a speech called “The Nature of Slavery,” in Rochester, New York, in which he emphasized that the slave who had been bestialized by his master, was still a man, and that one of the great weapons that could be put in the hands of that slave, was the right to learn.
“The slave is a man,” said Douglass, ” ‘the image of God,’ but ‘a little lower than the angels’; possessing a soul, eternal and indestructible … and he is endowed with those mysterious powers by which man soars above the things of time and sense, and grasps, with undying tenacity, the elevating and sublimely glorious idea of a God.
A Demand for Universal Education
Throughout his life, one issue which Douglass understood as non-negotiable, was that of universal education.
One of the many schools set up for African-Americans by the U.S. Freedman’s Bureau after the Civil War.
In the 1890s, when Jim Crow laws took hold, and lynchings of blacks were becoming common, Douglass knew that if the black American was not to have full equality, then he would have to become educated in order to fight for that right. Thus, Douglass, who during the war had toured the North giving a speech on “The Mission of the War,” after the war, toured schools and colleges, to foster the literacy of the citizens. He appreciated the difference between ignorant voters and those who were informed of their rights and privileges, and who could thus in turn appreciate the rights and privileges of the so-called downtrodden. His message was always the same: that the illiterate man was a slave, and the literate one a citizen of a free republic.1
Frederick Douglass strongly believed in limited power of government.
He was more than six feet in height, and his majestic form, as he rose to speak, straight as an arrow, muscular, yet lithe and graceful, his flashing eye, and more than all, his voice, that rivaled Webster’s in its richness, and in the depth and sonorousness of its cadences, made up such an ideal of an orator as the listeners never forgot.
"These dear souls came not to Sabbath school because it was popular to do so, nor did I teach them because it was reputable to be thus engaged. Every moment they spent in that school, they were liable to be taken up, and given thirty-nine lashes. They came because they wished to learn. Their minds had been starved by their cruel masters. They had been shut up in mental darkness. . . . The work of instructing my dear fellow-slaves was the sweetest engagement with which I was ever blessed."
As Douglass once famously said “I would unite with anybody to do right; and with nobody to do wrong,”
Douglass understood more than anyone that there can not be liberty without freedom.
As says the message spoken by Booker T. Washington, of which you are greeted with upon visiting Schooling Delaware for the first time “Character, not circumstance, makes the person"
“As admirers of Frederick Douglass, whom we all hold in very high esteem, we view him as the concrete expression of the American Dream Story ─ a universal model of how the American Dream can be achieved by anyone. Moreover, Douglass is the bridge over the racial and class warfare abyss that has been purposely created by Marxist-Liberals.” –K. Carl Smith; Diversity Engagement Expert & founder of The Douglass Initiative
An all-inclusive political philosophy, Frederick Douglass Republican is based on the 11 Life-Empowering Values of America’s greatest liberty messenger, Frederick Douglass. Leveraging these 11 Life-Empowering Values prevents confrontation and creates common ground and unity. They are
Respect for the U.S. Constitution
Respect for Life
Belief in the Limited Power of Government
Belief in Personal Responsibility
Economic Prosperity
Education-School Choice
Women's Rights
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms
Free Speech
Religious Liberty
Immigration.
Frederick Douglass’ writings and speeches about economic prosperity, liberty, school choice, science, free speech, religious freedom, work ethic, entrepreneurship, the limited power of government and more, are just as compelling and necessary today as they were over 100 years ago. We refer to these tenets of liberty as Douglass’ Life-Empowering Values™ because these are the core principles Douglass passionately embraced—enabling him to rise from slavery to prosperity. Worth $300,000 at the time of his death in 1895, Frederick Douglass built a fortune of more than 20 million dollars in today’s money, through speaking fees, book royalties, key presidential appointments and personal investments.
A man, who was born a slave, never went to school, educated himself to the point where his words now have to be explained to the youth of today's generation.
Yet today, we have teachers telling students they can not succeed because of what they look like, and instilling a sense of victim mentality.
breaks down the victim mentality mindset, and paves the way to turn ‘victim' into ‘victor’. I have no doubt Frederick Douglass’ words were influential in articulating a clear message against victimization that has found itself so prominent in today's culture.
Frederick Douglass makes his debut on a new children's series Tuttle Twins, who along with their wheelchair bound, time traveling Cuban grandmother & her crazy purple racoon Derek, go on adventures throughout history learning about American values, economics, individual liberties, and the victim mentality.
“We should be cautious how we indulge in the feelings of virtuous indignation. It is the handsome brother of anger and hatred’
~ Frederick Douglass, The North Star, Aug. 15, 1850
The North Star
“Right is of no sex - Truth is of no color” ※ “God is the father of us all, and all men are brethren”
“I appear before you this evening as a thief and a robber. I stole this head, these limbs, this body from my master and ran off with them.”Douglass would tell people
Frederick Douglass started his own abolitionist newspaper, The North Star4
The North Star, antislavery newspaper published by African American abolitionist Frederick Douglass. First published on December 3, 1847, using funds Douglass earned during a speaking tour in Great Britain and Ireland, The North Star soon developed into one of the most influential African American antislavery publications of the pre-Civil War era. The name of the newspaper paid homage to the fact that escaping slaves used the North Star in the night sky to guide them to freedom. It was published in Rochester, New York, a city known for its opposition to slavery. The motto of the newspaper was, “Right is of no sex—Truth is of no color—God is the Father of us all, and we are brethren.”5
Douglass spoke with authority, confidence, & conviction. Douglass was eloquent and compelling. His mighty words created vigor amongst the masses.
Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison (left): Frederick Douglass (right)
In September of 1838, Douglass traveled to Nantucket to hear the publisher of Boston's abolitionist newspaper, William Lloyd Garrison, speak. After hearing Douglass tell his story, Garrison realized he had found the man he had been looking for. Douglass has said of Garrison:
“the mind of Mr. Garrison, and his paper took a place in my heart second only to the Bible.” “I love this paper and its editor,” wrote Douglass. “His words were full of holy fire, and straight to the point.”
By the late 1830s, William Lloyd Garrison had developed his belief that the U.S. Constitution was proslavery. Not long afterwards, Garrison arrived at what he believed to be the logical corollary of this belief, namely, that abolitionists should call for secession of free states from the Union. This position, known as “disunionism,” provoked heated debate in the abolitionist community. It also brought about a split between Garrison and the escaped slave Frederick Douglass. For over ten years Douglass was a colleague and close friend of Garrison. During those years Douglass defended the Garrisonian positions down the line. By the early 1850s, however, Douglass, under the influence of Gerrit Smith, abandoned the position that the U.S. Constitution is proslavery. He also changed his mind about Garrison’s call to dissolve the Union. A former disciple now attacked the positions of his mentor—positions Douglass himself had defended in public for over a decade—and this generated tension between the two men.6
When I escaped from slavery, and was introduced to the Garrisonians, I adopted very many of their opinions, and defended them just as long as I deemed them true. I was young, had read but little, and naturally took some things on trust. Subsequent experience and reading have led me to examine for myself. This has brought me to other conclusions.
While Douglass never mentioned the break with Garrison, Garrison’s disunionism followers admonished Douglass as selfish and temperamental.
Douglass’s friend Harriet Beecher Stowe, who rocked the antislavery movement with her 1852 bestseller Uncle Tom’s Cabin7, wrote Garrison in an unsuccessful effort at reconciliation: "Why is he any more to be called an apostate for having spoken ill-tempered things of former friends than they for having spoken severely and cruelly as they have of him . . . where is this work of excommunication to end? Is there but one true anti-slavery church and all others infidels?"
In this speech, Douglass lamented that Independence Day wasn’t a day of celebration for enslaved people. At the same time, he urged his audience to read the U.S. Constitution not as a pro-slavery document, but as a “GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT.”8
A statue of the great orator, Frederick Douglass along Hillsdale College's Liberty Walk. Douglass spoke at Hillsdale College twice, first in the midst of the Civil War in 1863 and again in 1888.
"interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT."
1865 Frederick Douglass Speech Produced By Leroy Hyter
This video is an excerpt from one of Frederick Douglass' most powerful speeches entitled "What The Black Man Wants." The performance of this speech was taken from a CD recording produced by Leroy Hyter, read by actor Michael Wright and musically scored by Leroy Hyter.
“I produced a video of these historical images to bring life to the prophetic words of Douglass as he urges the Abolitionist of his time just two years after the Emancipation of the slaves and during the close of the Civil War. to fight for the civil rights of the newly freed slaves as strongly as they fought for their freedom. Stating that freedom with out rights is not freedom at all. Warning them also that if the equal rights issue wasn't dealt with properly at the beginning of freedom for the slaves. It would be centuries before it would be resolved. Was he ever so right. Enjoy!”
“If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress” 1857
Ambassador Frederick Douglass at his Desk in Haiti
“The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims, have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
“The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
Douglass knew that good people must agitate. He understood that the limits on injustice & tyranny depend on the peoples’ willingness to stand up. Douglass put a human face on the horrors of American slavery.10
Frederick Douglass, depicted meeting with Lincoln and the Cabinet to appeal for the enlistment of black soldiers
Frederick Douglass:
served as adviser to five US presidents.
served as U.S. ambassador to Haiti.
was the most photographed man of the 19th century
Wrote three autobiographies & a novel
Staunch ally to the feminist movement, strategizing along side the likes of Susan B. Anthony11
Activist: Douglass ca. 1884 with his second wife, Helen (right), and her sister. From the biography ‘Picturing Frederick Douglass’
In 1888, became the first African-American to receive a vote for President of the United States in a major party’s roll call at the Republican National Convention in Chicago.
Frederick Douglass died in 1895 at the age of 77 of a massive heart attack.
Additional Entertaining & Informational Frederick Douglass Content
American actor, Forest Whitaker, narrates the below version of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” available for free as of this writing
“Men talk of the Negro problem. There is no Negro problem. The problem is whether the American people have honesty enough, loyalty enough, honor enough, patriotism enough to live up to their Constitution”
—Frederick Douglass; 1893
Good Lord Bird is an excellent mini-series following John Brown & the infamous raid on harpers ferry.12
Frederick Douglass’ Incredible Legacy on 5 minutes | Told by Laurence Fishburne
The North Star was a mid-19th century abolitionist or anti-slavery newspaper. It was published by Frederick Douglass in Rochester, New York. The title was a reference to directions given to slaves trying to reach Northern states and Canada: follow the North Star. The newspaper was published weekly and circulated to more than 4,000 readers in United States and abroad.
New York Heritage has archived issues of Frederick Douglass’ Newspaper, North Star.
The collection is comprised of eight issues of the North Star newspaper. The issues span from 1848 through 1851. The publication includes descriptions of current abolitionist events at the time, as well as classifieds and advertisements.
The orator saw freedom for slaves and power for women as two fronts in the same war. Fergus M. Bordewich reviews “Women in the World of Frederick Douglass” by Leigh Fought.
Ethan Hawke stars as abolitionist John Brown in this limited series based on the National Book Award-winning novel. The story is told from the point of view of "Onion," a fictional enslaved boy who becomes a member of Brown's motley family of abolitionist soldiers battling slavery in Kansas, and eventually finds himself in the famous 1859 Army depot raid at Harpers Ferry, an inciting incident of the Civil War. It's a humorous and dramatic tale of Antebellum America and the ever-changing roles of race, religion and gender in American society.
The subject of our magazine, Golden Legacy, is black history and is written so young people can understand easily and develop interest for the further study of history. Golden Legacy is not a comic magazine, but it is a new approach to the study of history. The intention of our publication is to implant pride and self-esteem in black youth while dispelling myths in others. We believe this can be accomplished through our visual presentation of worldwide achievements in an effortless and enjoyable manner with a magazine which can be widely distributed. The series has been endorsed by representatives of most major Boards of Education, the N.A.A.C.P., The National Urban League, The Association for The Study of Negro Life and History, and many eminent educators, historians, religious and community leaders. The Golden Legacy is very popular with youngsters and adults. Over 12 million copies have been sold to individuals, schools, churches, several leading corporations and various community-type organizations. We hope that you will read, enjoy and benefit from our endeavor. Thank you, Publisher
