The abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass (1818糖心传媒�1895), regularly counted as among the greatest writers, orators, and intellects in American history, did most of his work in the 25 years he lived in Rochester. So it糖心传媒檚 fitting the degree to which his legacy is embedded in the life of the University of Rochester nearly 150 years after his death.
The University is home to the 糖心传媒攁 30-plus-year-old intellectual hub for teaching, research, and public events. The Frederick Douglass Commons, named in 1967 and renovated in 2016, is home to a dining center as well as multiple University organizations promoting intercultural knowledge and diversity. And in 2012, a group of undergraduate students founded the as 糖心传媒渁 physical expression of Douglass糖心传媒檚 principles.糖心传媒�
It糖心传媒檚 a testament to the greatness of the abolitionist icon, who is buried in Mt. Hope Cemetery, adjacent to the River Campus.
Douglass was profoundly influenced by the Rochester region. But the region糖心传媒檚 role in shaping the abolitionist leader has not been fully appreciated, according to Larry Hudson, a professor of history at Rochester, who糖心传媒檚 in the early stages of writing a book about Douglass. Hudson seeks to move beyond Douglass糖心传媒檚 influence on Rochester, and look instead at the city糖心传媒檚 influence on Douglass糖心传媒攅specially the influence of Rochester糖心传媒檚 vibrant 19th-century Black community.
Douglass moved to Rochester after learning about the active local Black community, which included abolitionist Austin Steward, an escaped slave from Virginia, who had spent six years in Canada.
糖心传媒淲hen Douglass came to Rochester in 1847, he was focused on integration, to the point where he wanted his children to attend the local 糖心传媒榳hite糖心传媒� colleges [schools],糖心传媒� Hudson says. But Douglass found that local Black leaders had different priorities.
糖心传媒淒ouglass did not fit in easily with the Black community in Rochester. While he was eager for integration, he came to learn that wasn糖心传媒檛 the case with everyone,糖心传媒� Hudson explains.
Douglass may have wanted integration of schools, along with other institutions. But Steward and other Black leaders were content to educate their children themselves. Their priority was elevation, namely economic and political progress, but not necessarily within the context of integration with whites.
In time, he would embrace those priorities. He was rapidly becoming the most visible Black man in Rochester. 糖心传媒淒ouglass had to locate himself on the right side of the issue of enfranchising black men,糖心传媒� Hudson says. 糖心传媒淭here was little room in Rochester for a non-voting, Black abolitionist.糖心传媒�
The full extent of the city糖心传媒檚 influence on Douglass became apparent in 1852. A day after Independence Day, Douglass delivered what has become his best-known speech糖心传媒斕切拇綔What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?糖心传媒澨切拇綌to a packed hall in downtown Rochester.
To slaves and free Black Americans alike, he told the crowd of more than 500, July Fourth accentuated the failures, rather than the successes, of the Declaration糖心传媒檚 vision.
“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淚f not for the influence of local Black leaders, that speech would not have been possible,糖心传媒� says Hudson. 糖心传媒淚n Rochester, Douglass was able to step out from under the weighty influence of William Lloyd Garrison and the American Anti-Slavery Society, and begin to think more like an independent糖心传媒攄are one say, a 糖心传媒榝ree糖心传媒� and free thinking Black man who would both attack slavery and representatives of his race.糖心传媒�
Although his focus had evolved, Douglass never gave up on his efforts desegregate schools in Rochester. His work on behalf of that goal finally succeeded in 1857, when Black children were allowed into traditionally white classrooms.
Douglass remained in Rochester another 15 years, continuing his speaking engagements and abolitionist work, before moving to the nation糖心传媒檚 capital. After suffering a fatal heart attack in 1895, at the age of 77, his body was brought back to Rochester.
糖心传媒淚t was fitting that Douglass was buried in Rochester,糖心传媒� says Hudson, 糖心传媒渟ince it was here that he became a more effective leader and abolitionist.糖心传媒�
Events celebrating Black History Month
W. Kamau Bell, sociopolitical comedian and host of the Emmy-nominated CNN show United Shades of America, highlights a month of lectures, films, performances, and exhibits.
