Mr. Douglass
What's Going On?
BC: Mr. Douglass, what the #$%*& is going on?
FD: You know we’ve got to find a way to bring some loving here today.
There is a prophet within us, forever whispering that behind the seen lies the immeasurable unseen. - Frederick Douglass,
On April 14, 1876, Frederick Douglass spoke to a huge, largely African American crowd to celebrate the unveiling of a statue to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation and Abraham Lincoln. The group included President Ulysses. S. Grant, members of the Supreme Court, Grant’s cabinet, as well as, John Mercer Langston, dean of Howard University’s law school. The day was declared a public holiday in Washington and flags flew at half-mast to mark the occasion with official solemnity. The crowd moved along Seventh Street and wound through the grounds of the Executive Mansion. The Emancipation Memorial, aka The Freedman’s Memorial is now located in Lincoln Park in Washington. The statue was sculpted by Thomas Ball. Funds for its design and construction were raised from the contributions of the formerly enslaved.
My known ancestor, Alfred Clarke has become a frame of reference and a touchstone for me in understanding American history. Was Alfred a part of the crowd of African Americans who’d been freed from bondage in 1862 under the District of Columbia’s Compensated Emancipation Act who followed the bands, the drum corps, mounted police, fraternal organizations, horse-drawn carriages, flags, and bunting through the streets of Washington? Did he hear and witness Douglass’ speech? Did he nod his head in agreement? Did he raise his hand and cheer at these words? Or did he bow his head in quiet acknowledgment of these solemn truths? He’d been a ten-year-old in 1862 when he was emancipated and was about twenty-four years old when the monument was dedicated. He is pictured above in a brooch with his wife, Jennie.
It must be admitted, truth compels me to admit, even here in the presence of the monument we have erected to his memory, Abraham Lincoln was not, in the fullest sense of the word, either our man or our model. In his interests, in his associations, in his habits of thought, and in his prejudices, he was a white man. - Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass’ speech at the dedication of the Emancipation Memorial.
More information about Frederick Douglass: Douglass in Wikipedia. For a deep dive into Douglass, go to David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom.
A few weeks ago, I rediscovered a book that had belonged to my late son, Najeeb. It’s a copy of Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. The pages are very, very browned with age. I remember that I recommended the book when his teacher assigned an autobiography. He accepted eagerly in part because it was a slim volume. He started to read. Then he came to me to ask if it was actually true. I said it had to be true because Douglass insisted again and again that it was. Also, there were testimonials from other people who attested to its truthfulness. He looked at me and then returned to reading. I knew he was moved, was affected. I never regretted having given the book to him though it depicted things I would never have wanted him to experience.
Please join me on April 6th for a reading of, Alive Nearby, my most recent novel in Stamford, New York at The Stamford Library located at 117 Main Street. I’m being joined by Esther Cohen, a poet of the people who posts a poem each day that captures the essence of people she encounters. She’s reading from All Of Us: Stories and Poems Along Route 17. This event is free.
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