Frederick Douglass: On Anti-Slavery Essay

Frederick Douglass—the famous icon on the context of ‘classic slave autobiography’ is considerably an eloquent writer which in essence recounts his claim to fame as that who issued the â€Å"powerlessness resulting form the social appropriation of discourse. † Born on the month of February in the year 1818 at Near Easton, Maryland, his works and admirable finesse has been recognized as the heroic act of being a slave towards being an anti-slavery leader. At age of twenty, he was able to get off the leash of slavery and pursued with his aim to thoroughly expunge the radical schema of slavery through writing articles and other forms of documentation such as The Liberator; and thoroughly escaped the wrath of slavery at age thirty in the year 1838. Further, this Garrison writer also managed to write a book under his memoir entitled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave in the midst of year 1845 and gained numerous awards and took the limelight stage due to his eloquence and intellectual fortitude as a speaker on anti-slavery movements. Not only is he good in the field of public speaking, but he also managed to take a formidable seat through lecturing and spreading out his determination to achieve â€Å"freedom† through explicitly exposing himself and truth for the purpose of campaigning for the â€Å"rights of women, and participations on Seneca Falls Convention, and advocacy in the Republican Party. † As a matter of fact, he also helped in recruiting African Americans in enlisting in the Union army—for the fight against slavery—and even advising the most influential president, Abraham Lincoln, to support him in his endeavors. All of these, in the streamline of history and of literature have nevertheless paid off worthy enough. Interview with Frederick Douglass How does it feel to be famous and world-renowned? Good day to you and to our viewers. Well, I knew you would ask me that question since in my own experience, which is perhaps the legendary question which most of my interviewers consider as the â€Å"opening remark† per se. I could not feel anything more than happiness to take it to assumption that I am considerably renowned and labeled as one of those who are legendary and has made a difference in the world or on the context of slavery. Of course, like all the other public icons and heroes as far as history and literature is concerned makes me feel that I am in one point or another a blessed individual for having been given the gift of courage and eloquence. It may be hard, in some point, since there will always be â€Å"critics who are after pulling down your reputation† for reasons which I consequently define as lame. I mean like, after all the hard work I have done and with the support of the testimonies of those who were able to witness and experience the heroic act that I have made, they always try to pull me down. I don’t know why they are utterly absurd, but I guess that is how â€Å"fame† is actually established—to be talked about and to be criticized. Nevertheless, a person would not be considered famous if his or her name does not often linger on the media, press, or on critics for that instance. (Gerteis, p. 1448) Is it true that Haitis were opposed to mixed men? We are all aware that the Haitians have always been those who are aloof amongst other people or on other race. Well, it came to a point that they specifically hate individuals with â€Å"mixed citizenship†Ã¢â‚¬â€which as you can see includes me—and therefore, I became one of those who were always stalked by these people and sometimes, whenever they get the ample chance, they get to serve their wrath against me. I never really considered it as a threat, since I always thought that every race and every culture have diverse beliefs. â€Å"These beliefs, however, are manifested by historical events or simply a tradition inculcated by their forefathers†Ã¢â‚¬â€and believe me, when tradition or belief is at stake, trying to change it is like pulling a trigger on your head. (Douglass, p. 5) Why did you decide to revolt against slavery despite the â€Å"risk† that it contains? Initially, as a boy at age 20, I was one of those who were hiding from the closet for every explosion, which I may possibly hear. But then, there was this inner sense of â€Å"hatred† which I fervently feel to be a form of evil—inequity is one—and â€Å"to treat me and my people as slaves by individuals who are humans like us, stepping on the same ground, that is reason enough not to let them do their wrong doing. † It is a disgrace to humanity and I would not want my children to experience that kind of agony in the future. (Lee, p. 51) How would you define slavery in America? â€Å"American History often stresses the point of slavery and racial discrimination. † For that certain fact, it has made black Americans hungry for freedom that their way of being heard was through the use of pen by literature, or worse, in the realm of a bloody war. Plenty of truth bares the inequity behind the perceptions of asymmetrical treatment. There is this novel which formidably shattered my world apart. Anger, Betrayal, a feeling of Invisibility – all of which horrified the pitiful young man in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, which continuously puzzle readers in scouring for the Nigger’s name. Perhaps it was better way off that way then, or else the name would also dignify the unfortunate fate encountered by the man in the novel. As for the invisible man, the story of his life, though he had felt, experienced and had been a witness of the biases in color, portrayed a perfect representation of the blacks stern personality and braveness, living with their belief that all men are created equal. The mentioned outward appearance of treatment must be expunged and totally be erased in the rationality of mankind, or rather have those antagonists be called white poisonous serpents eaten with selfish pride again (Breidlid). I and my men were treated like the invisible man himself, and I believe that no one would want to live in that kind of disposition in life. Please tell me something about the Douglass-Garrison Conflict, its nature? From the founding of the American Anti-Slavery Society in the year 1833, abolitionism has been marred by constant intra-group disagreements. Within seven years, ‘the movement split itself into two camps; one was headed by William Lloyd Garrison, while the other has been spearheaded by public personalities namely, Tappans, James G. Birney, Gerrit Smith and Joshua Leavitt. ’ However, ten years after, those camp escapades, another schism occurred which eventually involved two groups which are piously clashing in perspectives with regard to the imposition of anti-slavery activities. In this point of time, the feud took place under my jurisdiction and William Lloyd Garrison’s. (Tyrone Tillery) When did you thoroughly say that you were â€Å"free† at last? My free life began sometime in September, 1838. Thus, the exultant joy resulting from this gradually fascinating status was short-lived only. In the most frustrating connotation, the moment I reached New York—just when I thought I was already away from the rage of slavery—it was surprising to realize that their power also reached the city. By then, I told myself: â€Å"no man would ever have the right to call himself slave, or assert mastery over him,† I sought refuge with the new environment where, sad as it may seem, even people same as my color would betray me over the tingle of a few dollar. (Frederick Douglass) Do you think there were also other people who suffered the same agony as that of yours? Captivating stories had been written to inspire readers instead of lingering the unfortunate fate of those who failed to survive in the war. An example for this, is a brave black American woman in the name of Fannie Lou Hamer, a woman armed with hope to eradicate a form of juxtapose deprivation against what she believed to be elements of privilege in her own very limited environment was painstakingly given to her and of her family, an implication which states that Black Americans do not allow themselves to be treated like slaves by others (Lee). Along with her bravery as indulged by other authors were The Scottsboro Boys, Joe Louis, Richard Wright and Sterling Brown. When the war has commenced, ‘children and women had to leave their homes for safety and let their fathers or any man in their family risk their lives to battle’. Guns and explosives were seen everywhere. The flag was raised symbolizing that they are ready to face the doom of death. Children were ranting and women were hearing voices. They became afraid of coming out. (Lee, p. 56) What would be your last words for the raging experience that you have had before? It was not easy; it was facing death while being alive. It seemed as if we were to lose everything that we have worked for, everything that we have sown for our children, and for the coming generations of our offspring. Our ‘economy became stagnant’, and serenity was about to be crushed into pieces. But it was a fire, ignited with hope’s flame. It was to shed blood or to be slaves; to remain free or to be chained. I now serve as a living legacy to those who enjoy the freedom the mighty indigent heroes have fought for. (Chesebrough, p. 49) Works Cited Breidlid, A. American Culture: Texts on Civilization. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 1996. Chesebrough, David B. Frederick Douglass: Oratory from Slavery. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Prestwick House Inc. , 2004.