Frederick Douglass

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, my name is Frederick Douglass, and today I stand before you as a friend, an associate, and a man of firm beliefs. Born a slave, I, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey educated myself and fought back against the oppressiveness which held me down. At twenty-one years of age I escaped from my master, and in fear of recapture, shortened my name. Newly christened as Frederick Douglass, I began my mission. Actively speaking out against the cruelty of slavery, I published my autobiography, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and founded the antislavery newspaper, the North Star. I worked in conjunction with my abolitionist colleagues, attacking the hypocrisy of segregated schools and providing support to my courageous brothers and sisters traveling the Underground Railroad. My work was long and hard, my days tireless and exhausting, but in standing for the rights of my people, I not only worked to fulfill my own dreams, but also the dreams of the oppressed men and women who struggled alongside me each and every day.