To overcome injustice in modern America, people of all races must stand together and fight, Frederick Douglass IV said Wednesday night in Pruis Hall.
"It might be a physical struggle, it might be a moral struggle," Douglass said. "But there must be a struggle. We cannot allow ourselves to sit in different corners."
Douglass, the great-great-grandson of America's renowned activist and orator, portrayed his ancestor as he gave an autobiographical account of his role in the abolitionist movement of the 1860s. As he wore a typical suit from the Civil War era, Douglass performed with his wife, B.J., who portrayed Anna Murray Douglass, his great-great-grandmother.
Wednesday's performance was part of the Multicultural Center's One World Series, which aims to raise awareness about important multicultural issues in American history.
Melody Fisher, assistant director of the Multicultural Center, said she was glad Douglass was able to come to campus and honor his ancestor's legacy.
"Frederick Douglass has advanced the development of civilization," Fisher said. "We are proud to recognize one of America's most distinguished and respected voices."
Douglass' presentation Wednesday focused on the experiences his ancestor faced since he was born a slave on the Holme Hill Farm in Talbort County, Md. in 1818.
When his ancestor was sent to Baltimore, Md. to live with the Hugh Auld family in 1826, he received the surprise of his life when he stepped foot on the plantation, Douglass said.
"For the first time in my life, I actually saw people whose skin was lighter than the color of my hand," Douglass said, portraying his ancestor.
When the elder Douglass later entered the plantation house, and saw an array of fine china and tea sets, he wondered why his own family had never had such luxuries, Douglass said.
He began to understand what racial inequality was, he said.
"I was amazed," Douglass said. "I knew there was something wrong. I finally learned this was what slavery was all about."
Douglass said as his ancestor grew up on the plantation, Auld's wife, Sophia, slowly began to teach him how to read the Bible.
But when her husband found out, he forbade her from giving Douglass any more lessons, claiming that education would make Douglass rebellious.
"After that I had to become like a thief - I had to steal my education," Douglass said. "Sometimes we slaves would hide behind the plantation's bushes at three in the morning to have class. And I was glad we did that, because once I learned to read, I felt forever free."
In 1836, Douglass met his future wife, Anna Murray, while attending church in Baltimore. Murray, the daughter of former slaves, had been born free in 1813, he said.
As B.J. Douglass portrayed Murray in Wednesday's presentation, she said even blacks who were free during the Civil War era still experienced constant discrimination.
"You always walked on one side of the street, worried someone might sell you back into slavery," she said.
She said after Douglass finally escaped slavery in 1838 and met abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, he helped to lead the abolitionist movement by speaking to audiences throughout the country. He later published his first autobiography, "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," and published several anti-slavery newspapers such as the North Star.
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, Douglass also suggested the nation establish the 54th Massachusetts, a black regiment that would later fight in the Civil War.
"He was a man who never settled for mediocrity," B.J. Douglass said. "He stood for what was right."
B.J. Douglass said she was glad to help her husband honor his ancestor's legacy Wednesday, and hoped students and local residents walked away with a renewed appreciation of black history.
Black history will always be America's history, she said.
"And no one should ever be ashamed that they are part of America," she said. "We all helped to build it, and we all helped to make it great."
Senior Euliza Gates said she enjoyed Wednesday's presentation and was glad to see students of all races attend.
Listening to an autobiographical account of one of America's most renowned abolitionists was beneficial for everybody, she said.
"It shows that Frederick Douglass' memory will live on," Gates said. "What he did for blacks throughout history still matters today, and it affects each and every one of us."
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