What the MN Dem Assassin Suspect Wrote to the FBI Is Wild...and It...
Currently Gutted News Network (CNN) Visits the Bombed Out Iranian News Network
Senate Can Save Health Savings Accounts for Americans
Between Turban and Crown: Why Reza Pahlavi Is No Answer to Iran’s Crisis
Rational by Other Standards
America's Foundation: The Imago Dei and Why it Matters
Justice Clarence Thomas’s Wise Words About 'Experts'
Replacing Coal Energy From Cholla With Solar and Batteries Could End Up Costing...
Donald Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ Marks Major Victory for American Students
Why Conservatives Must Lead on Securing AI
Your Retirement Is at Risk When Corporations Get Political
To Win the Tech Race Against China, Restore the Power of the U.S....
The Tide Is Changing on Corporate Complicity in Censorship, Regulatory Coercion
CNN Anchor: No Evidence Sanctuaries Keep ICE From Doing Its Job
Fox Hosts Slam Whoopi Goldberg’s Iran Comparison: 'It’s Not Even the Same Universe'
Tipsheet

Finally: Frederick Douglass' Statue to be Unveiled on Capitol Hill

Here’s a rare piece of good news emanating from the halls of Congress: the great abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, will be honored with his very own statue in the U.S. Capitol next week.

Advertisement

I remember the first time I stepped inside the U.S. Capitol building. Not only was I beguiled by its inescapable charm and beauty – a place that all Americans should visit at least once – but the statesmen who line its halls reminded me of America’s inherent greatness. It is fitting, then, that a statue of Frederick Douglass will finally be placed inside this American pantheon of heroes. After all, even a cursory glance at his writings and speeches – on slavery, emancipation, freedom, and opportunity – cannot help but inspire awe at the sheer genius of the man. And to learn he was born in the most deplorable and depressing of circumstances only adds to his greatness.

What has always fascinated me about Frederick Douglass is that he was one of the first and most vocal supporters of arming black soldiers during the Civil War. Adamantly opposed to colonization – namely, the platform to ship blacks back to Africa or other “settlements” outside the United States – Douglass argued that slaves in America and free blacks deserved to stay. It was, after all, their birthright. What’s more, he argued, only by bearing arms and joining the war effort could blacks hope to change public opinion and improve race relations in post-bellum America. This strategy subsequently paid off: Abraham Lincoln, during his final public address, suggested that some black union soldiers should be granted voting rights – a pronouncement that perhaps got him killed and which was inconceivable when he first got elected. Of course, he had (along with his fellow citizens) seen firsthand their bravery and heroism on the battlefield – and this changed everything. It is possible then to plausibly argue that Frederick Douglass not only provided the intellectual foundation for emancipation through his writings and speeches, but ultimately helped bring the war to a speedier conclusion with his lobbying efforts.

Advertisement

Speaker John Boehner said during his remarks that Frederick Douglass was “one of the greatest Americans and voices for freedom” in our nation’s history. I agree. And hopefully now, when visitors tour the Capitol Building and see his statue, they’ll be reminded of what he accomplished – and if they don’t know – they will ask.

H/T: Yahoo! News

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement