Black History Month: Continuing Frederick Douglass’ Legacy
DELMARVA – Frederick Douglass was an Eastern Shore native, abolitionist leader, social reformer, and one of the most important leaders of the movement for African American civil rights in the 19th century.
“While Black History Month is a time to reflect, highlight, and educate, we look at how historical and prominent figures messages from decades ago can still resonate to this day. If we didn’t have those people, where would we be at right now.”
Originally known as Frederick Bailey, his descendants and historians carry on his legacy. Douglass, left a mark on America’s history books, like many others from Maryland.
“Frederick Douglass fighting for women in the suffrage movement. Frederick Douglass was pastor of a church in Bedford Massachusetts.”
“Whether it be Frederick Douglass, Henry Highland Garnet, Harriet Tubman, the William Steel family who are actually the architects of the underground railroad, the nation pretty much got their strength and road map from the Eastern shore of Maryland.”
While Tarence Bailey carries Douglass’s blood, he says African American history is only uniquely carried on because of efforts like his and so many others.
“We like to say in an African American community, when an elder dies, a library burns. 12 because a lot of our history is passed down through our elders 18 and when we lose an elder, that’s a generation of knowledge.”
It’s Bailey’s hope for a change and a future for African American history to live on beyond Black History Month that keeps him fighting like his ancestors and so many others.
