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Frederick Douglass inspires resistance in the face of Trump oppression

Photo: Jonathan Ah Kit/flickr

The good news is that President Donald Trump opened Black History Month by mentioning the renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The bad news is, he doesn't seem to realize he's dead. "Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice," Trump said at his "African-American History Month Listening Session," which he hosted at the White House. Whether it was a misstatement or genuine ignorance of who Frederick Douglass was, or, perhaps, one of Trump's notorious "alternative facts," is not clear. What is clear is that the spirit of resistance for which Frederick Douglass is best remembered is alive and well, and is directed squarely against the Trump administration.

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black history anti-oppression anti-slavery Frederick Douglass trump administration Muslim ban racist policies

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Americans need to reflect on how grassroots organizing has shaped their country

Photo: flickr/ Julian Carvajal

"What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?" asked Frederick Douglass of the crowd gathered at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, N.Y., on July 5, 1852. "I answer," he continued, "a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which lie is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham."

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US politics Slavery Black Community independence day American History Frederick Douglass Fourth of July July 4 Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Bree Newsome

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We welcome your comments! rabble.ca embraces a pro-human rights, pro-feminist, anti-racist, queer-positive, anti-imperialist and pro-labour stance, and encourages discussions which develop progressive thought. Our full comment policy can be found here. Learn more about Disqus on rabble.ca and your privacy here. Please keep in mind:

Do

  • Tell the truth and avoid rumours.
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