Commentary by Black Kos Editor Denise Oliver-Velez
Today, February 14, is the day that we celebrate as Frederick Douglass’ birthday. Douglass chose Valentine’s Day to celebrate, though he would never know what day he was born and we won’t either.
I decided that since so much has been written here at Daily Kos about Douglass, that I wouldn’t do a repeat. Here are some of the diaries that have been written in the past — with excerpts.
He holds my heart: Frederick Douglass Denise Oliver-Velez
I was about five or six years old when my mom told me the story of Frederick Douglass. In my memories, his history was woven into her tales of my enslaved ancestors, which were lovingly and proudly passed down to me. The first time I saw a portrait of him, he reminded me of a fierce and protective lion, probably because of his mane of silvered hair and noble mien. It’s more than 60 years later, and I am still in love with Douglass. It’s a love wrapped in awe, honor, and respect for a man who stands as one of our greatest Americans.
Since those days of childhood, I’ve learned much more about him—thanks to both his own words and the works of many historians. He, like all men and women, had fears and flaws. His very humanity and his ability to move through and transcend the myriad obstacles placed in his path—of enslavement, illiteracy, and virulent racism—to rise to the heights of national and international prominence speaks volumes. This, in a time when black Americans were most often viewed as sub-human chattel. This was a time when so many of us were held in bondage. This was a time when murderous gangs of whites—in the South and the North—targeted free black people to be tarred, lynched, burned out, and dragged back into enslavement.
What Frederick Douglass Said 155 Years Ago Today Meteor Blades
While there are hundreds of people I greatly admire, I've always been stingy in adding to my personal list of heroes. Perhaps that's in part because "hero" has lost its shine from being applied so promiscuously. Seven or eight or nine times out of ten these days the recipient of such labeling largesse simply doesn't qualify for hero status.
Perhaps it's just my personal perversity that says quarterbacks who make last-minute touchdowns, surgeons who install new hearts, or victims of terrorist attacks aren't, no matter how wonderful and hardworking they may be, heroes. But it's a perversity that wants to see the word return to its original power.
My number one personal hero is Frederick Douglass, the runaway slave whose persistent eloquence was one of the leading factors persuading Abraham Lincoln to bring black soldiers into the Union Army. On July 4, 1852, he delivered a speech in Rochester, N.Y., that both roused and riled those who heard it or read it later.
Today marks the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass. ian douglas rushlau
How should we honor Douglass? By acknowledging both how much he accomplished in his efforts to overthrow white supremacy, and by re-dedicating ourselves to the work still to be done:
"Young people, all people, should know that empowerment first comes from within, and that it is important for us to narrate what is within ourselves and this society where Black people and other peoples still do not feel free. That is why Douglass’s Narrative remains important. That is why this One Million Abolitionists project is so vitally important."
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped From the Beginning:
The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America,
winner of the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction
Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) introduces a project called, One Million Abolitionists. To honor Douglass’s 200th birthday, we will print one million hardcover copies of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave and give them to young people all across the country. Then we’ll ask the readers of this special Bicentennial Edition to create service projects to address an urgent social justice issue present in their community. We would like to see one million young people working toward equality in the spirit of Frederick Douglass…
FDFI wants to inspire and empower one million young people to do and be more than they ever dreamed possible. Working with schools, our organization has tackled human trafficking and modern day slavery through service-learning curricula and prevention education initiatives since 2007. How important is education? Douglass learned early that knowledge was his pathway to freedom. That lesson holds true today; for children and adults alike.
Frederick Douglass and the "rank undergrowth of treason" Chitown Kev
Of the 828 diaries that I have published here at Daily Kos, my February 27, 2015 diary about Frederick Douglass, “What the Black Man Wanted,” remains one of my personal favorites.
Specific lines in Douglass’ 1865 speech, What the Black Man Wants, touched upon some themes that arose out of the 2016 election of of The Occupant. Then, on the first day of February, in 2017 (which is designated as Black History Month), The Damn Fool name-dropped Frederick Douglass, saying that Mr. Douglass “is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job that is being recognized more and more.” I was so outraged that The Damn Fool dared to utter the name of a black man that stood against everything that The Damn Fool stands for, I revised and republished my 2015 essay as “Frederick Douglass and the Rank Undergrowth of Treason.”
In honor of this great, great man and on the date that he chose to celebrate his birthday, I am republishing “Frederick Douglass and the ‘Rank Undergrowth of Treason’.”
The utter gravitas of Mr Douglass’ s words, the moral clarity of his actions and his example of a life well-examined and lived should continue to be alive and vibrant for all Americans, especially at this moment in the history of our democratic republic.
Frederick Douglass: The activist who would not 'grow up' Armando
The life of Frederick Douglass is one of the prime examples of American history of why reaching for the impossible, for not "growing up," is essential for the effective activist. Born a slave, Frederick Douglass was the living embodiment of asking for the impossible in order to achieve the good. While the perfect should not be the enemy of the good, asking for the perfect is essential to achieving the good.
Most are familiar with the basics of Frederick Douglass' life–born a slave in Maryland's Eastern Shore, surreptitiously learned to read, sent to be broken by a cruel overseer, and escaped while disguised as a free-born seaman. Once a free man living in the North, Douglass became a living rebuke of the ideology of slavery. Strangely, his detractors would question whether he had been a slave, as if this rebutted the central point of Douglass' argument–that blacks were equal to whites, and thus, slavery was an abomination.
But Douglass was more than a symbol, he was a key leader in the abolitionist movement, involved in strategizing on how to gain the prize of emancipation and equality. In his book, Foner credits the not "growing up" of the abolitionists as critical to creating space, indeed forcing the political space in the direction of the abolitionists, to steering Lincoln towards the emancipation view and to helping creating the political space whereby Lincoln could issue the Emancipation Proclamation. Douglass was at the forefront of the abolitionist movement after becoming a free man.
There were many more stories to be found here. The ones above are just a sample. I hope that you will take some time out today to read a few, and to honor a man, whose history certain right wing elements are attempting to erase along with all of what we dub as “Black History” which is truly American History.
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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
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A viral TikTok video shows the moment a Black HVAC technician claims a client called the cops on him and falsely accused him of threatening her.
“Here’s a sample of what life is like being a black man in America. …#happyblackhistorymonth,” reads a caption for the clip, which was uploaded Wednesday by Alonzo Harmon.
In the TikTok video, which was taken on Nov. 29, 2022, Harmon turns the camera toward himself and can be seen standing outside a garage in Golden Valley, Minnesota, as it snows. A woman inside the garage appears as if she’s talking on the phone.
“She is on the phone with 911 right now,” Harmon says to the camera.
“He says I’m rude, and he just threatened me right now,” the woman says on her call.
Harmon, standing several feet away from the woman, says, “What threat did I make towards you, ma’am?”
The woman, who identified herself as “Elizabeth,” ignores Harmon’s question.
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Sales of battery-powered motorcycles and scooters are skyrocketing in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya. According to McKinsey, they’re expected to dominate sales on the continent by 2040, with a market share of 50% to 70%. Le Monde: A two-wheeled electric transition is taking place in Africa
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Initially, Tolu Williams' interest in electric motorcycles was a hobby. It was a decade ago that this former lawyer with a passion for mechanics imported his very first machine from Asia. He reinforced his chassis and suspension to withstand the bumpy streets of Lagos, Nigeria's economic capital. Several friends and acquaintances expressed interest, so he repeated the operation, "two times, then three, then four times, until finally, it became a real business," he said.
Using batteries and motors imported from Asia and Europe, his company Savenhart Technology (Siltech), assembles electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers. In addition, the entrepreneur created a custom model for Nigerian startup Metro Africa Xpress (MAX). The company is now marketing its own electric scooters as part of its rapidly expanding subscription platform for motorcycle taxis and delivery drivers.
As Tolu Williams said by phone from Ghana, where MAX is expanding, "The goal is to deploy 10,000 by 2024. This market is still very new, but if you look at the level of pollution and congestion in major African cities, everything suggests that electric two-wheelers have great potential on the continent."
In comparison to American, European and Chinese car fleets, electric vehicles (cars and motorcycles) are still rare on the African continent. The data is patchy, but in Kenya, one of the most advanced countries in this area, there are reportedly less than 400 out of some 2.1 million registered vehicles. Nevertheless, many governments have begun unveiling ambitious plans and projects are expanding.
In Nairobi, Kenya, technicians at Opibus assemble an electric motorcycle in their warehouse on February 15, 2022. PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP
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Art, culture and ingenuity are integral parts of a continuum of social justice, advocacy and healing. And Black Girl Freedom Week is a chance to celebrate the artistic vision and activism of Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth. The Grio: Innovation by Black girls and women in the arts creates possibilities for us all
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The theme of this year’s series of events centers on the artistic vision, activism and innovation of Black girls and gender-expansive youth. From Feb. 13 to Feb. 19, we will gather virtually to spotlight Black women, girls and gender-expansive youth, including award-winning director, writer and producer Gina Prince-Bythewood, who most recently directed the blockbuster hit “The Woman King,” and Leila Mottley, author of the New York Times bestseller, Oprah’s Book Club pick and Booker Prize nominee debut novel “Nightcrawler.”
These luminaries not only light the way for the next generation of Black artists and innovators, but they are the cultural influencers who help us see the full embodiment of Black girls’ and Black people’s lives, beyond tropes of tragedy and sadness, to include the infinite possibilities that await them and the liberated futures they are creating. They help shift the narrative and change hearts and minds about Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth, who are essential to achieving a more just world. Yet, we know that Black girls, femmes and gender-expansive youth are the least seen, recognized or invested in. Research shows that less than $15 million, about 4.2%, of philanthropic giving was specified for Black women and girls in 2017, the most recent figures available. Black women and girls received $17,000 less in grant support compared to a median of $35,000 for all foundation grants.
The Black Girl Freedom Fund and the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign aim to change that. Since 2021, the Black Girl Freedom Fund has invested more than $7 million into over 80 organizations across the United States. From cultivating educational opportunities in STEM to deep healing, leadership development and beyond, the work our grantee partners are doing is not just changing the lives of Black girls, femmes, and gender-expansive youth — they are fundamentally changing how others understand the role of Black girls in our communities and the world.
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Voices & Soul
“… Brown bare
Wooden rooms
Light brown plank walls
Dark brown plank floors
A single dark green
Shade
Covering
The window…
- Jacob Lawrence
”The Beauty of Bareness”
by Justice Putnam, Black Kos Poetry Editor
Black artists and other artists of color have always been held to a different standard in a country of endemic, systemic racism. A sexy performer performing a sexy song and dance during the Super Bowl is deemed to be oversexualized, and a danger to the kids. Never mind it was clearly a dance interpretation of pregnancy, and indeed, Rhianna revealed she is pregnant. But the MAGA fascism is in ascendency and they just can’t help themselves. Satanic wokeism is their insulting rally cry, because they really want to use the N word, and they are.
They complain a song honoring the long sacrifice from slavery to freedom is un-American and how dare it be sung in public, lest some white kid somewhere might feel bad about coming from a family of bigots. Can’t have that.
Jacob Lawrence’s art flourished in spite of the racial obstacles lodged his way. His vision of “dynamic cubism” sought to chronicle the Black experience in America using hues of blacks and browns against a palette of vivid colors, not informed so much by cubists working in France, but from the vibrancy of Harlem.
...for me, a painting should have three things: universality, clarity and strength. Clarity and strength so that it may be aesthetically good. Universality so that it may be understood by all… “
- Jacob Lawrence
The sixty panels that make up his “Migration Series” are like film storyboards that make up an epic poem of life, an odyssey from South to North, and the rooms left behind.
Jacob Lawrence
Could paint
The beauty
Of bareness
Blacks
Moved North
Leaving
Empty
Rooms
Behind
Them
Lawrence’s genius
Was to paint
Those rooms
Left behind
Brown bare
Wooden rooms
Light brown plank walls
Dark brown plank floors
A single dark green
Shade
Covering
The window
Erasing the lush landscape
Creating a
Stark beauty
A simple beauty
A bare beauty
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The Podcast for The Justice Department: Musique sans Frontieres
"Leaving Empty Rooms Behind"
1 - Odetta - Sail Away Ladies
2 - Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Precious Memories
3 - Harry Belafonte & Miriam Makeba - Malaika
4 - Sam & Dave - If Something is Wrong with My Baby
5 - Etta James - Don't Cry Baby
6 - Abbey Lincoln - Nature Boy
7 - Robert Cray - I Was Warned
Station Break
8 - John Lee Hooker - I Cover The Waterfront
9 - War - Sweet Fighting Lady
10 - The Blackbyrds - Dreaming About You
11 - Carla Thomas - When Tomorrow Comes
12 - Durand Jones & The Indications - Too Many Tears
13 - R L Burnside - Shake ‘em On Down Remix
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WELCOME TO THE TUESDAY PORCH
IF YOU ARE NEW TO THE BLACK KOS COMMUNITY, GRAB A SEAT, SOME CYBER EATS, RELAX, AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
