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Douglass descendant brings history to life
By Joshua Scott
(as reprinted from UVA Top News Daily)
 July 7, 2002 - As the nation prepared to celebrate the 226th anniversary of American independence, middle and high school students from across Virginia experienced firsthand a reenactment of the struggle for freedom waged by one of America's best-known abolitionists.
Frederick Douglass IV, great great grandson of the famed 19th century orator, statesmen, and publisher, portrayed the experiences of his prominent ancestor to the diverse audience in the Rotunda. The event was sponsored by the Youth Leadership Initiative at the UVa Center for Politics, in collaboration with the University's Summer Enrichment Program and Upward Bound program.
Douglass and his wife B.J. powerfully conveyed through song and spoken word the dreadfulness of slave life and the indignity created by the institution. They also chronicled the life of Douglass, including his escape from bondage and his rise to prominence as an anti-slavery speaker and advisor to President Abraham Lincoln.
"Power concedes nothing without demand," stated Douglass, who challenged the students to become involved in civic affairs and engaged in "positive dialogue that crosses both racial and generational boundaries." Many of the students are participants in the Summer Enrichment Program, where they are studying the role of political activism throughout American history.
"This dramatization brings to life one of America's most influential men in a way that no textbook ever could," said Angela Stokes, director of instruction for the Youth Leadership Initiative. "These students will undoubtedly remember this presentation and understand in a new way the struggles that Douglass endured in an effort to bring about an end to slavery."
Following their presentation, the couple encouraged the students to talk to older members of their family and record the conversations for posterity, lest they miss out on the wisdom and experience of their ancestors.
Like his great-great-great grandfather, Frederick Douglass, IV is forging new ground in the fight for equality. He and his wife are the primary force behind the establishment of a national museum of African-American history, to be located on the mall in Washington, D.C. Douglass is President of Friends of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, which is spearheading successful legislation to establish a museum dedicated to 400 years of achievement and accomplishment by the only people brought to this country as slaves. Due in large part to his efforts and that of his organization, the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and J.C. Watts, Jr. (R-OK), recently passed a bill to form a presidential commission to create the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
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Copyright © 2002 U.Va. Center for Politics. All rights reserved.
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