During this month of February, Black History Month, my husband, Dan, and I had the opportunity to see a program about Frederick Douglass. He was a most respected African American orator of the 19th century. At the 1888 Republican National Convention, Douglass became the first African American to receive a vote for President of the United States in a major party’s roll call vote.
What we witnessed was a “one man show” by Fredrick Morsell from Emigrant, Montana. He has been a professional actor for thirty years, including film, T-V, opera, plays, and musicals. He has developed the Douglass Scholars Program, which combines an assembly presentation of Douglass’ life with classroom discussions and hands-on workshops. This enlightening presentation is offered in several formats of varying lengths. Our experience was held in a church, with a two hour performance, along with questions answered at the end. It was powerful and thought provoking.
Frederick Douglass spent his early years in a home broken beyond most people’s comprehension. His mother was a slave, and she was forced to leave him as an infant. He never knew the identity of his father. He was crowded into two rooms with many cousins and grandparents living in poverty. In addition to this, he was listed as a slave, right along side an inventory of the mules and bushels of wheat. His owner could sell him anytime as slavery was legal.
Despite what we would feel and think while listening to this presentation, Frederick’s spirit was not broken. He possessed an intellectual curiosity that his circumstances could not deter. When he was eight years old, he was sent to Baltimore as a house servant. He was introduced to books and the “mystery of reading” by the wife of the household. As he grew and learned, he realized that this education was going to be the pathway from slavery to freedom.
Because it was illegal to educate slaves, soon Frederick had to learn to read and write secretly. He traded bread for reading lessons, and learned to write by tracing over discarded spelling books. His handwriting eventually became smooth and graceful. By age thirteen, he was reading articles about the “abolition of slavery” to other slaves. When he escaped to freedom at age twenty, he eagerly shared his knowledge and wisdom with anyone who was hungry to know.
His lifetime triumphs were many:
abolitionist
author
women’s rights activist
owner-editor of an antislavery newspaper
fluent speaker of many languages
Minister to Haiti
Some famous quotes by Frederick Douglass are included in the following:
“What is possible for me, is possible for you.”
“The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
“ I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.”
“ It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
“ There is not a man beneath the canopy of Heaven who does not know that slavery is wrong for him.”
“ Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”
This program was sponsored by an organization called The Freedom Library. The mission of this group is to promote an understanding and acceptance of the freedom philosophy in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. They have books, CD’s, and DVD’s to be checked out. www.freedomlibrary.org
If you would like to experience a little bit of Black History Month right in our area, come be a part of a Soul Food Festival in Worthington next Sunday afternoon, Feb. 25th, from 12:00-3:30. It will be held at the Worthington Christian Church at 1805 North Douglas. Two local women orchestrate this annual time of food tasting and fun. They make enough food for an army, and it is pretty interesting to learn more about the culture. You will be welcome!
lbeerman68@gmail.com
