Frederick Douglass, the understated statesman, a colossus of intellect, refined passion, and force of God, was born exactly two hundred years ago, in 1818, straight into slavery. He was separated from his family, even purposefully bereft of the experience of knowing familial bond with his siblings, who for a time lived on the same plantation as him, and treated as less than a commodity. An anomaly of a human being was Frederick, in that he was inwardly driven to learn to read and write before he understood that those two attainments were the beginning of the passage toward his freedoms and liberty. Intellectual freedom, for Frederick-the black American slave, was the first and third bridge to complete freedom. Many had escaped to the āNorthā on foot, and if fortunate, through the āsecond bridgeā network known as the āUnderground Railroad.ā It was Frederick Douglassās increasing ability to read and write; which led to his growing ability to think critically, reflect, observe,...
For The Good Of The American Family & Individual: Youth, Adults, & Senior Citizens