Reflecting upon the reading of Frederick Douglass, I came across a realization of how different time periods are still connected.In the readings, Douglass talked about his hardships during slavery and post-slavery, in which he also shared several accounts of times he had witnessed horrifying acts upon African Americans slaves.For example, “The wife of Mr.Giles Hicks, living but a short distance from where I used to live, murdered my wife’s cousin, a young girl between fifteen and sixteen years of age-She had been set that night to mind Mrs.Hicks baby, and during the night she fell asleep ,and the baby cried. She, having lost her rest for nights previous, did not hear the crying “. From this quote, I can make a connection in today’s current issue in America such as police brutality.Although slavery had ended for quite some time, the hate still exists, even in the 21st century. For decades, several policeman/women have used their authority against many minorities to illustrate their hate, and in particular in the black community. Several Police officers have always targeted black people and in results, many black people including children, women etc., have lost their lives due to several unjust reasons. Slavery and police brutality both share a comparison because they both illustrate the abuse of power within the authority.In addition, the unlawful killings many police officers would commit, a lot of the times they wouldn’t even be prosecuted for their crime they are committing due to status and “power” they have.This reminds of how slave owners wouldn’t also wouldn’t be charged for the crimes they commit because of the power they taught they had at the time. Having compared two circumstances and how it still prevalent to this day, its kind of astonishing to me. Moreover, to see hate practices still exist a hundred years plus, shows how ignorant people are that they hate on something that can never change. America is one the most diverse country in the world, so instead of using it to its advantages to teach culture and understand it some people choose to hate what is different and that is kind of disheartening.
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After gaining his freedom Frederick Douglas went on to becoming an abolitionist leader, a writer and an advocate for women’s rights.
He participated in the “hundred conventions” project where he toured the United States on behalf of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Douglas was assaulted many times during the tour and in Indiana his hand was broken because of an assault. Douglas wrote a newspaper called the “The North Star”, which was named because slaves could follow the north star to freedom.
He was the only African American to attend the Seneca Falls Convention, where he was advocating for women’s rights.
It’s sad to see that so much of what Frederick Douglas fought for is still going on today. Under the guise of voter fraud people in congress are making it harder for poor people, mostly minorities, to vote. Using gerrymandering to write districts, closing poll stations and stopping people with criminal records are techniques used to suppress the vote. Systemic discrimination in both the private sector (Banking) and the public sector (Judicial system) are prevalent today and seem to be getting worse. I hope that people can look at Douglas’s life and realize that we are human beings with similar wants and desires. Also, I hope our nation can live up to the promise in the Declaration of Independence of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Life after slavery was not easy, it was a slow process of reconstruction. With the emancipation there was a promise, hope for a better future and yet poverty and some other impediments became huge obstacles for the African American community. Life after slavery was transformed, the cruelties and degradations of the life of slaves, the whippings and sexual assaults they had to suffer stopped but the process they had to endure after was difficult. They had to find a way to be recognized in a society that previously slaved them, the switch of thinking had to be established, supported and accepted but the brutalities of white race prejudice persevered which made things harder. However, there was always hope in this community. African Americans’ desire for education and a better quality of life was their driven force to come as far as they have gone until today.
A perfect example of this passion for a life of rights and opportunities is Frederick Douglass. This incredible man never stopped believing and therefore fighting for a cause that became his whole life. One fact that was very interesting to me was his advocacy for women’s rights in the 19th century. He believed that “Right is of no sex, truth is of no color”. Along with his urge to end slavery, Frederick Douglass supported Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other women’s rights activists in their fight for woman’s suffrage.
Douglas worked actively with the Western New York Anti-Slavery Society. It was through this organization that he was able to meet Elizabeth M’Clintock. In July of 1848, Douglas was invited by M’Clintock to join the First Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY. Douglass eagerly attended this convention revealing his strong commitment to this cause and he even wrote: “In respect to political rights, we hold woman to be justly entitled to all we claim for man. We go farther, and express our conviction that all political rights which it is expedient for man to exercise, it is equally so for women. All that distinguishes man as an intelligent and accountable being, is equally true of woman; and if that government is only just which governs by the free consent of the governed, there can be no reason in the world for denying to woman the exercise of the elective franchise, or a hand in making and administering the laws of the land. Our doctrine is, that Right is of no sex.” He spoke eloquently in favor of this cause declaring that as a black man he could not accept the right to vote if women couldn’t also claim this right, he also believed that if women were involved in the political field our world would be a better place.
After this event in 1848, Frederick Douglass continued to support this cause. In 1866, the American Equal Rights Association was founded by Douglass alongside Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony whose main goal was to demand universal suffrage. 3 years later however, the group dissolved due to growing tension among Africa-American rights activists and women’s rights activists. But this did not stop Frederick Douglass from advocating and supporting the cause of equal rights until his death in 1895. He continued being an influential activist in both movements.