Admiring Frederick Douglass

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."   

Frederick Douglass 

I always heard Douglass was a great thinker; he was just one of those men that is just oozing with words of wisdom from birth. I have read parts of his Narrative, but, apparently, I missed the most important part: the beginning. Without understanding how much Douglass observed and experienced as a child, it is very hard to grasp the entirety of the man's character.

For those of you who do not know some of the background of Frederick Douglass here are some quick facts, some important facts about a man who had a monumental life.

The North Star was one of the first newspapers written by a black man in the U.S.

• Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in approximately 1818 (the exact date of his birth was never confirmed), was separted from his mother almost immediately (who died when he was 7 years old), and never knew his father, though, he suspected it was a white man.
• Douglass escaped slavery in 1838 upon reaching New York City.
• He is considered one of the most well-known abolotionist leaders. Some of you may recognize his name in conjunction with The North Star, one of several publications (in this instance, a newspaper) he wrote during his lifetime. The North Star's purpose was to "be devoted to the cause of Liberty, Humanity and Progress...with the purest motives" (The North Star, 3 December 1847; Reprinted in Philip Foner, ed., Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass, vol. 1 link here).

That's it. That is Frederick Douglass in four sentences. From those sentences, he seems to have a rather uniform life when compared to other slaves. Nowadays, it seems like high schools, middle schools, and, sometimes, elementary schools have required readings on famous men and women who were once slaves. What, then, makes Douglass so special?
Douglass is the man who took an initiative from the beginning. When he reflects on his childhood memories, it seems like he was, to steal a cliche, wiser than his years. He never saw his mother, never knew his father, watched as his aunt was beaten by a cruel master, was denied the right to an education, spent nights hungry or cold, and consistently whipped or beaten for any "wrongs" he committed against his master.

Douglass, however, observed his surroundings and carefully calculated his escape. As a young boy, Douglass overheard his white master instructing his wife,

"If you teach that n----- how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no alue to his master." 

Those words are the driving force behind Douglass' decision to become literate. When he was a child, it meant tricking the younger white children he played with in the street to teach him to write new letters and make new words. As he grew older, it mean applying for a university education. Douglass, you see, understood that knowledge truly was power. That reading and writing were the ways by which he could ultimately escape the treacheries of slavery.

Then, it hit me: how do American universities or secondary schools honor Frederick Douglass? Are there any programs initiated? Any scholarship funds open? How many high schools in the United States are named after him?

The answer to all of them: too many to count. Literally. There are tons of scholarship funds in his name and way too many high schools named in his honor. There are even honor societies named after him, or, at the very least, inducted him posthumously.

The House recently voted to erect a monument in D.C.

The most amazing, and most current item I found, was a bill that was past by the House of Representatives on September 10th, 2012. That's correct: there are still people honoring him today. More importantly, however is how they intend to honor his memory. Plans are underway  in Washington, D.C., the United States Capitol, to erect a monument of Frederick Douglass. To see the page about the House of Representatives proposal, click here.

There is already a bridge running across the Potomac River, but many people believe that it just isn't enough to thank a man who inspired millions. I couldn't agree with them more.