Letters from Tomis

My Socialist Hall of Fame

During this chaotic era of vile rhetoric and manipulative tactics from our so-called bourgeois leaders, I am invigorated by the opportunity to reflect on Socialists, Revolutionaries, Philosophers, Guerrilla Leaders, Partisans, and Critical Theory titans, champions, and martyrs who paved the way for us—my own audacious “Socialism’s Hall of Fame.” These are my heroes and fore-bearers. Not all are perfect, or even fully admirable, but all contributed in some way to our future–either as icons to emulate, or as warnings to avoid in the future.

Early Life and Enslavement

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in either February 1817 or 1818. His mother, Harriet Bailey, was an enslaved Black woman, while his father was likely his white enslaver, though the precise identity is unknown. He was separated from his mother early in life and raised by his grandmother. At the age of eight, he was sent to Baltimore to live with the Auld family. It was there that Sophia Auld began to teach him the alphabet—an act later forbidden by her husband. From that moment, Douglass understood literacy as a tool of liberation and committed himself to learning how to read and write clandestinely.

Escape and Emancipation

In 1838, at the age of about 20, Douglass escaped slavery by boarding a train from Baltimore to Philadelphia, disguised as a free Black sailor. He ultimately settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, with his wife Anna Murray, a free Black woman who had helped him plan his escape. In New Bedford, Douglass worked as a laborer and began attending abolitionist meetings.

His intellectual development deepened as he read widely—especially the works of Shakespeare, the Bible, and abolitionist literature like William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator. Douglass would eventually reject Garrison’s pacifist and moral suasion-only strategies, becoming a more politically and ideologically independent figure.

Rise as an Abolitionist and Intellectual

Douglass rose to national prominence in 1841 after speaking at an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket. His eloquence astonished audiences, leading to a series of lectures across the North and overseas. In 1845, he published Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, a vivid autobiographical account of his experiences in bondage. The success of the book provoked fears of recapture, and Douglass traveled to Ireland and Britain, where he continued to speak against slavery. British supporters eventually purchased his legal freedom in 1846.

Upon returning to the United States, Douglass settled in Rochester, New York, and launched The North Star, an abolitionist newspaper that expanded his platform. He used its pages not only to denounce slavery but to advocate for women’s rights, Black self-determination, and education. He famously declared, “Right is of no sex—Truth is of no color—God is the Father of us all, and we are all Brethren.”

Political Activism and Civil War Involvement

As the political landscape intensified in the 1850s, Douglass became more involved in organized abolitionist and reform politics. He supported political anti-slavery parties like the Liberty Party and later the Republican Party. He met and occasionally advised Abraham Lincoln, particularly pushing for the enlistment of Black troops in the Union Army. Two of Douglass’s sons served in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.

Douglass’s stance evolved from a belief in moral suasion to an endorsement of direct political action, including the use of armed struggle in the case of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Though not directly involved, Douglass admired Brown’s dedication and considered violent resistance a necessary, though tragic, potential path to freedom.

Post-War Struggles and Reconstruction Era Work

After the Civil War and the formal abolition of slavery, Douglass remained deeply involved in Reconstruction politics. He supported the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and continued to fight for African American civil rights and political participation. He held various federal positions, including U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia and U.S. Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti.

Douglass’s disappointment with the erosion of Reconstruction policies led to increasingly scathing critiques of white supremacy in both the North and South. His later speeches, such as “The Lessons of the Hour” (1894), condemned lynching and the retreat from Black civil rights in the post-Reconstruction era.

Women’s Rights and Intersectional Advocacy

Douglass was also a lifelong advocate for women’s suffrage and was the only African American to attend the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. He strongly supported the Declaration of Sentiments and maintained that the cause of universal human rights must include both race and gender. However, his decision to prioritize the 15th Amendment caused tension with feminist allies like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, who argued that women should not be excluded from suffrage rights.

Legacy and Intellectual Contributions

Douglass authored three autobiographies, each adding depth and historical insight into his political and intellectual development:

1. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845)

2. My Bondage and My Freedom (1855)

3. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881; revised 1892)

His writings and speeches displayed rhetorical brilliance, dialectical reasoning, and deep moral clarity. Douglass combined Romantic individualism with a radical critique of American hypocrisy, most famously in his 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in which he declared:

“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

Douglass’s work laid the groundwork for future civil rights movements and continues to influence contemporary struggles for racial, gender, and economic justice.

Death and Commemoration

Frederick Douglass died of a heart attack on February 20, 1895, after attending a meeting of the National Council of Women. His home in Washington, D.C.—Cedar Hill—is now preserved as the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. His writings remain foundational texts in African American studies, political theory, and American literature.

Bibliography

Primary Works:

• Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.

• Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. New York: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855.

• Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Hartford: Park Publishing Co., 1881; revised edition, 1892.

Secondary Sources:

• Blight, David W. Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018.

• McFeely, William S. Frederick Douglass. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991.

• Levine, Robert S. The Lives of Frederick Douglass. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2016.

• Fought, Leigh. Women in the World of Frederick Douglass. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

• Sundstrom, Ronald R. Frederick Douglass: Race and the Rebirth of American Liberalism. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003.

• Stauffer, John. GIANTS: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. New York: Twelve Books, 2008.