New Book Collects Frederick Douglass’ Brooklyn Speeches

By Sameer Rao Jan 04, 2017

Abolitionist, racial justice leader, orator and former slave Frederick Douglass‘ speaking engagements took him all over the northern United States and the United Kingdom. But it’s the lectures he delivered in Brooklyn between 1859 and 1893 that feature in a new collection edited by historian and writer Theodore Hamm

"Frederick Douglass in Brooklyn," released yesterday (January 3), highlights speeches made throughout the New York City borough, including at the still-standing Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Bridge Street African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Hamm explained in an email to Colorlines that the collection explores all sides of Douglass’ literary and oratorial talent, including the lesser-known aspects. "We all know Douglass as a great writer and provocative thinker," Hamm said. "But the speeches also show that he was often witty and enjoyed his repartee with his audiences, whether Black or White Brooklyn abolitionists."

Click here to learn more about the book.