Frederick Douglass

"Divisive Concepts" Bans Will Undermine Teaching Some of the Values Conservatives Claim to Uphold

by John Marot

The story of Frederick Douglass, to single out one prominent abolitionist, is "divisive" in the sense that students engaging with it will find echoes of values claimed by both left and right. That's why this history must be taught. 

Melvin Rogers: How Black Thinkers Remade America's Political Traditions

From Douglass to DuBois, African American intellectuals have pushed for the theory of American republicanism to wrestle with the conflict between racial domination and political equality. 

Catch these Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass Docs While You Can

by Walter G. Moss

Readers have a short time to watch two informative documentaries on American freedom fighters Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. 

Linda Hirshman Offers a Lively Dissection of the Competing Strains of American Abolitionism

by Drew Gilpin Faust

Hirshman focuses on the complex character of abolitionist editor Maria Weston Chapman, whose combination of moral fervor and racial prejudice pushed Frederick Douglass from the moralistic Garrisonian camp to a pragmatic and more effective strategy of political activism. 

How Lincoln and Douglass Joined Forces for Freedom

by Jonathan W. White

Lincoln's discussions with Frederick Douglass should make clear the difference between the president's public statements and his inner convictions on emancipation. 

Frederick Douglass's 1876 Report

by Laura K. Field

Conservatives today invoke Douglass against supposed "woke" trends in history, but misread his critiques of racism in American institutions. 

Frederick Douglass and American Empire in Haiti

by Peter James Hudson

"Douglass was aware of the moral limitations of U.S. exceptionalism and cautioned against its abuse—especially against countries such as Haiti that had neither the economic nor the military resources to easily withstand U.S. pressure."

Can Sports Realize Frederick Douglass's Ideal of the Composite Nation?

by Walter G. Moss

From Jackie Robinson to Simone Biles and Shohei Otani, sports have been like the point of a knife piercing myths of white supremacy. 

Manipulating Frederick Douglass and His Historical Record

by Kevin M. Levin

Frederick Douglass intended his portraits as visual representations of freedom, autonomy and dignity. The author wonders if it's appropriate to take the liberty of indulging in the trendy photo animation technology with the portraits of historical figures. 

The Most Sacred Right

Frederick Douglass dreamed of a country where all people could vote and he did everything in his power to make that dream a reality. In the face of slavery, the Civil War and the violence of Jim Crow, he fought his entire life for what he believed was a sacred, natural right that should be available to all people - voting.  

For Black Suffragists, the Lens Was a Mighty Sword

Photographs of generations of Black suffragists offer invaluable documents about their thwarted and central roles in the history of women’s rights.

Frederick Douglass Statue Torn Down in Rochester, N.Y., on Anniversary of His Famous Fourth of July Speech

In 1852, Douglass asked the city’s residents and the country: ‘What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?’

How a Lincoln-Douglass Debate Led to Historic Discovery

Just like that, a document apparently unknown to Douglass’s biographers and not found in the orator’s papers at the Library of Congress had landed squarely in the middle of the debate that has swept the nation and the neighborhood around Lincoln Park where the statue stands.

Nothing Can be Salvaged From Frederick Douglass' Time Capsule

The city historian said material in the time capsule dates back to 1898, with additional items being added in 1941, but nothing can be salvaged.

Do We Want the America of Frederick Douglass or Donald Trump?

by Walter G. Moss

Which kind of America do we want? A “composite nation” that takes pride in its ethnic and religious diversity and sets an example for other countries who are fearful of immigrants? Or an America afraid of immigrants, especially if not lily white, Christian ones, as Trump and many of his followers desire?

'What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?': The History of Frederick Douglass' Searing Independence Day Oration

Douglass’ message — about America struggling to live up to the lofty goals it set for itself at the founding — continues to be relevant.

Three Recent Books Examine Frederick Douglass' Legacy

by Allis Radosh

Frederick Douglass: America’s Prophet by D.H. Dilbeck, Frederick Douglass: Self-Made Man by Timothy Sandefur, and Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight all offer a different interpretation of Douglass. 

The self-made man

by Manisha Sinha

Manisha Sinha on the long and eventful life of Frederick Douglass.

Video of the Week: Ibram X. Kendi on Surviving Cancer & His Anti-Racist Reading List for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

And the legacy of Frederick Douglass on his 201st birthday.

"The North Star" Launches with Keisha N. Blain as Editor-in-Chief

Through written content, podcasts, video broadcasts, and an app, the new North Star editorial team plans to explore issues of civil rights, human rights, and social justice in America and around the world.