I admire Frederick Douglass:

– because he defied the odds. He escaped from slavery and taught himself to read and write. He said that “knowledge is the way from slavery to freedom.” By giving himself the gift of education, he gave himself a life of choice and prosperity. Even today we can capitalize on his message by being continuous learners.

– because he was a great writer. During a time when it was nearly impossible for blacks to read, he found the determination and courage to document his story. His book is titled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.” Frederick Douglass’s autobiography was published in 1845. He rewrote the autobiography twice, each time republishing his life story. Frederick Douglass was also an editor. The name of his newspaper was The Northern Star.

– because he was a great speaker and speaker. The spectators, Black and White, came from all over to hear Douglass speak and give a lecture. One of her famous speeches was at the Seneca Falls Convention, where she gave an impromptu speech on women’s right to vote. As a speaker, Douglass took on a great responsibility to spread a message of hope, enlightenment, and action. He said, “I prayed for twenty years but I didn’t get an answer until I prayed with my legs.” He knew that without taking action little would be accomplished.

– because he was an advocate of interracial marriage. Two years after the death of Anna, his first wife; Frederick Douglass married a white woman, Helen Pitts. Despite the fact that the marriage caused great confusion with his adult children and between Pitts and his family, Douglass did not back down. She often became aware of the fact that while her first marriage was to a person of her mother’s color; the second was for a person of his father’s color. I admire the fact that although he was a defender of black rights, the mistreatment of blacks did not make him a racist. He valued everyone.

– because it has many honors and awards. Posthumously, Frederick Douglass is the only man to become an honorary member of Alpha Phi Alpha. There are several buildings and schools named after him. There are several statues erected in his honor. And his home in the District of Columbia is a National Historic Site.

Hopefully this article will provide some alternative ways of offering information about Mr. Douglass. Besides being an abolitionist, it possesses many other qualities and characteristics.