Through Frederick Douglass’s creation of his narrative and through him becoming an active public figure with speaking and writing, his words were meant to shape an image of himself. Douglass was always aware of his audiences, including of their prejudices and the things that mattered to them, and he worked to control both his words […]
I have read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass almost every year since my junior year of high school. Rightfully so; it is a harrowing first-hand account of Douglass’s fight to freedom after a lifetime of enslavement. Every edition I have owned has featured a large photo of Douglass on the cover, but they are […]
When thinking back to when slavery was prominent in the U.S. , one’s self “image” is something that doesn’t ever come to mind. When someone is thinking of all the horrors and suffering that was happening, I feel a person wouldn’t have time to think of this. Frederick Douglass did, however, think of his personal […]
Forgetfulness is a common human foible effecting how historical figures are remembered and imagined. Their cosmic presence and specific cause related influence often eclipse their unaltered fons et origo. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was many things – an activist, religious leader, and orator. King’s personal life wasn’t particularly confidential, however, it was a victim […]
Martin Luther King, Jr. was arguably the most publicized civil rights leader in the 20th century, but somehow, I have never come across this image until now. As recipients of history, we see the images of King addressing the masses in Washington, D.C. or locking arms with other leaders in a march. We see him […]
I found this picture of Martin Luther King, Jr after a pretty quick google search. I chose it because it shows a side of him not always in the media or history spotlight. MLK was a brilliant orator, activist, and a hero. But I think first and foremost he was minister. His non-violent strategies and […]
Kieran Quinlan’s introduction, in conjunction with Gavan Lennon’s podcast appearance, delves into the complex parallels between Ireland and the U.S. South. Beginning with Quinlan’s book Strange Kin: Ireland & the American, we’re introduced to the unique connection Ireland and the Southern states in America share due to their historical similarities, while also elaborating on their […]
In the exploration of understanding Irish, English, and American South connections, we dove into writings by Kieran Quinlan and a podcast with Gavan Lennon. In his book Strange Kin: Ireland and the American South, Kieran Quinlan dissects fascinating comparisons and contrasts between large cultural and historical implications for Ireland and the U.S. South. Quinlan chiefly […]
After doing the extremely hard job of escaping slavery, Frederick Douglass faced an equally challenging job of creating a persuasive image — an image that would make people want to join the abolition movement. He knew the power of a picture and what it was capable of doing, so when in front of the camera […]
Frederick Douglass practiced what he preached. Through his seminal work Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave he shows that he is a true American hero/badass. He is a fighter and he portrays himself as such. He cultivates this image through the pictures he chooses for his book cover and how he […]
Frederick Douglass made sure to create a self-image that would make him a credible black abolitionist in the 19th century. His image was dependent on the photographs that were taken of him, his speeches, and how he wrote about himself in his narrative. In the video titled History, Photography, and Race in the South: From […]
Before the genre existed, Frederick Douglass wrote an autobiography entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, often referred to as the Narrative. Douglass chronicled his intervallic existence from a man turned into a “slave” and, through hardship, into a man with agency. Born to an enslaved black mother and white enslaver […]
In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass crafts a harrowing and intense account of his journey out of slavery and into freedom. The entirety of his story boils down to a concept explored in “History, Photography, and Race in the South: From the Civil War to Now Part 4—Pictures and Progress: Frederick […]
For your third blog post, we’re exploring the relationship between Ireland, the UK, and the U.S. South. Reading: Quinlan, Kieran. “Introduction.” Strange Kin: Ireland & the American South. LSU Press, 2005. Listening: “North & South Elsewhere,” About South Podcast. Frederick Douglass writes in his Narrative: “I went one day down on the wharf of Mr. […]
This week we’re reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Watch: https://www.nga.gov/audio-video/mann-symposium/mann-symposium-part4-video.html Supplementary Reading 1: Read and examine the images in Appendix A (page 173-184) on the European editions of Douglass’s narratives Supplementary Reading 2 (select one): Read any one of the Douglass letters written from Scotland in Appendix B Read Item 10 in Appendix […]