The month of February marks the celebration of the achievements of Black Americans and their contributions and central role in the history of the United States of America. It is a necessary time to honor and reflect on the roles of Americans who have not always been given due respect throughout history. At CASA of Tarrant County, we are taking this week to reflect on the contributions of Frederick Douglass, a man who began his life enslaved and ultimately went on to shape the nation through his work as an abolitionist.
Reading about Frederick Douglass is inspiring to reflect on his journey. As a young child, he suffered greatly under the hands of oppressive, cruel enslavers. His mother’s life ended when he was just seven years old. Then, at just eight years old, he was moved away from his family (grandparents and aunt) to work in a shipyard. This move would change the course of his life, as he heard the ideas of abolitionism and learned to read and write. Frederick was moved back to the country after seven years and received brutal treatment and cruelty once again at the hands of his enslavers. Finally, in 1838, Frederick made a daring escape and was finally free.
In his later life, Frederick would inspire many Americans to stand up against slavery as he talked of his history and what he had witnessed and experienced. In 1847, he would publish his autobiography, Narrative of the “Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. He also gave one of the most moving and influential speeches of his time on July 5, 1852, “The Meaning of July 4 for the Negro”. Frederick Douglass shaped history by standing up against evil and educating others even at significant personal risk for himself.
As we think about the impact of Frederick Douglass, it is hard to imagine how we might have been in 1847 - on the brink of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. However, as Americans in the twenty-first century, we have opportunities to highlight the stories of those whose courage and tenacity changed the blueprint of history and give voice to their stories.
This Black History Month, we encourage all those at CASA of Tarrant County to continue learning about influential Black Americans and continue hearing and telling their stories. CASA advocates are called to be the voice for children. We can look back to Frederick Douglass, who used his voice to tell his own story and that of millions of other enslaved children and adults who wouldn’t stop speaking up for what he knew needed to change, to inspire us to look forward.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”
- Frederick Douglass