Frederick douglass gay

In January , in a surprising move that not even their own families saw coming, Frederick Douglass and Helen Pitts married in the home of a mutual friend. The immediate reaction from their families was unfavourable, to say the least. Vice JD Vance joined Theo Von's podcast for an episode filled with strange jokes at the expense of abolitionist Frederick Douglass—repeatedly riffing on a baseless claim that Douglass fought to end slavery so he could “meet men.”.

Frederick Douglass, the Freedom to Marry, and LGBT Equality Early on in our work for marriage equality, we had the occasion to reread the autobiography and other selected writings of renowned abolitionist and civil rights champion Frederick Douglass. On July 4, , Frederick Douglass delivered a riveting speech to the citizens of Rochester, New York. Douglass’s theme was white America’s hypocrisy in celebrating Independence Day while a seventh of the population was in chains.

Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself, Edited with an Introduction by David W. Blight, (Bedford St. Martin’s, ). Register today to stay up-to-date with the latest news. By signing up, you agree to our terms and conditions. An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

It was a display of privilege, entitlement, and the ease with which white men rewrite Black pain as punchlines. Sitting across from him was JD Vance, awkwardly taking up space and sporting more eyeliner than brain cells. The exchange went out to millions of listeners. It was a disgraceful moment that made light of slavery and demeaned a towering figure who risked everything to fight and abolish it. These two mediocre men reduced Frederick Douglass and the centuries of resistance he embodies to a flippant joke, their ignorance and privilege insulating them from the gravity of Black history and liberation.

What matters is the callousness of turning slavery into a punchline and using one of the most courageous lives in American history as the setup. When a joke punches down on Black struggle, turning history into cheap entertainment, it stops being humor. It serves only to diminish the pain, erase the truth, and signal that Black suffering is still up for ridicule.

He was born into bondage, beaten, exploited, and denied his humanity. He taught himself to read, self-emancipated, and became one of the most uncompromising moral voices this country has ever produced. He shattered white supremacist lies with clarity, force, and fearless conviction. This kind of disregard is what happens when Black history is erased and when privileged white men, blind to its brutality and sacrifice, feel entitled to belittle a legacy built on blood and resolve.

It comes from watching undeserving white men fail upward while others are made to fight for their dignity in a nation that still questions their worth. Men like these two will never grasp the generational weight of surviving slavery, of carrying the memory of stolen ancestors and stolen futures. The opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Voice Media Ventures.

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