One of the central figures in African American history, Frederick Douglass, lived and worked in Rochester for 25 years. He is mostly known as an abolitionist and the principal leader of the movement. Douglass was born in slave and escaped from slavery to take his place in history. He was an orator, writer, and publisher […]
By Jake Clapp The annual Frederick Douglass Freedom Festival is celebrated in June, symbolizing the date of the unveiling of his statue in Rochester on June 9th, 1989. During the opening ceremony, Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren says we can never give enough honor to the memory of Frederick Douglass. His contribution to the eradication of […]
Frederick Douglass, one of the most important figures in the nation’s history, spent 25 years here, continuing his abolitionist efforts, helping raise a family, meeting with women’s suffrage leaders, and founding his influential North Star newspaper. He bought property here, lived here, and chose to be buried here, in Mt. Hope Cemetery. And yet there […]
BY DANIEL J. KUSHNER At New York City’s Swann Auction Galleries last March, the University of Rochester successfully bid on a weathered but well-kept book of 17 songs. Perhaps the most intriguing piece in the bound collection of sheet music is a song inspired by abolitionist and long-time Rochesterian Frederick Douglass. According to Autumn Haag, […]
By Jake Clapp In 1847, when Frederick Douglass moved to Rochester and started his newspaper, The North Star, five states allowed black men to vote: Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. New York also technically allowed them to vote, but strict residency and property ownership laws made it all but impossible. Many of […]
A long list of problems is suppressing voter turnout in New York State By Jake Clapp Part of a year-long, quarterly series examining how Rochester lives up to the legacy of Frederick Douglass, produced by Open Mic Rochester and CITY Newspaper. Both publications will also have related articles throughout the year. Frederick Douglass knew the […]
By Jake Clapp Frederick Douglass lived and worked in Rochester for 25 years, walking the streets, frequenting local businesses, and talking with neighbors. The fact of his presence will always be a part of Rochester, and now a set of life-sized statues will bring his physical representation to contemporary city streets. The statues, and an […]
The power of the Black Church on American history and today’s families BY TIANNA MAÑÓN AND MICHELE ASHLEEPHOTOS BY MICHELE ASHLEE The church has long been a pillar of the black community. Certainly, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. heavily relied on it to organize people and spread his message. It was also critical for the […]
Reflecting on Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech [ COMMENTARY ] By Vanessa J. Cheeks Frederick Douglass, on July 5, 1852, took to the stage at Rochester’s Corinthian Hall to deliver a speech to the Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. He had been invited to commemorate the country’s 76th year of independence. […]
Upstate New York was an important part of the Underground Railroad. Connect with that history this summer By Jake Clapp In his third autobiography, Frederick Douglass reflected on his anti-slavery work while living in Rochester: Along with speaking and writing against slavery, Douglass wrote in “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass,” one important action “must […]
For most of the 25 years Frederick Douglass and his family spent in Rochester, they lived in a home on South Avenue. There was a farm, an orchard, and a barn on the land that was, at the time, on the outskirts of Rochester. It was a good spot for a home that frequently sheltered […]
By Jake Clapp Kenneth Morris Jr. will discuss the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives’ One Million Abolitionists project on Thursday, April 5, in the Hawkins-Carlson Room of Rush Rhees Library, University of Rochester. The event begins at 5 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Information: 276-5744; sas.rochester.edu/aas. Kenneth Morris Jr. carries a powerful […]
This post first appeared on Open Mic Rochester as part of its ASKOM series By Tianna Mañón ASKOM: Was Frederick Douglass a Republican? This is a popular question that comes up again and again as the City of Rochester celebrates Frederick Douglass’ bicentennial year. Open Mic partnered with CITY for a year’s worth of content and […]
By Vanessa Cheeks and Rebecca Rafferty We’ve all heard that old adage: Behind every great man there’s a great woman. In some cases, it’s many women bolstering the great man, whether they are mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, colleagues, or friends — and throughout history few of them have been properly credited for their roles. This […]
Rochester likes to claimFrederick Douglass as its own.Is the community living up to his legacy? First in a year-long quarterly series on Frederick Douglass and the issues he championed, produced by Open Mic Rochester and CITY Newspaper. Both publications will also have related articles throughout the year. By Tianna Mañón and Jake Clapp The first […]
By Jake Clapp With around 160 separate images, Frederick Douglass was the most photographed American of the 19th century. The great abolitionist saw the medium as an incredibly useful tool: Photography was a way to ensure true depictions of African-Americans; it was a way to directly combat racist caricatures and showcase the dignity and humanity […]
Rochester has spent the past year honoring abolitionist, orator, and publisher Frederick Douglass, who spent a substantial part of his life here. As part of that observance, Open Mic Rochester and CITY have focused on Douglass’s life and work and asked how well Rochester has lived up to his legacy. In the last of that […]
