On the way to our first site, Frederick Douglass's home, Dr. Smith told us some things about Douglass to frame the trip. Douglass was a former slave that became one of American history's biggest abolitionists. In 1852, he gave a speech titled "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" In this speech, though not mentioning his name, he struck at Thomas Jefferson for the hypocrisy of Jefferson writing "all men are created equal" and yet owning slaves himself. However, years later, while sitting at church, he had an epiphany. He looked at the crucifix hanging on the wall, and realized that he couldn't be a Christian that believes in forgiveness and maintain his hate of Jefferson. He knew that he had to forgive Jefferson. He picked up a copy of Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, and after reading the essay titled "Manners" he discovered that Jefferson knew he was wrong in practicing slavery and repented. It as at this point that Douglass forgave Jefferson, and adopted him as a father figure. His home, Cedar Hill, is the closest thing that African Americans have to a Monticello (according to Dr. Smith).
Cedar Hill was built because Douglass knew that great men needed a great house in which to conduct their business affairs. This was a time of no office buildings, and most of the great leaders spent much of their time at home writing and reading their great works. It was here, especially in his Growlery, that Douglass spent time in solitude reading and writing his contributions.
Our second stop was supposed to be Lincoln Park, and the first Lincoln Memorial. This statue was dedicated by Douglass in 1876. Douglass and Lincoln had such a great partnership that developed into a friendship and a need for one another to accomplish their goals of keeping the Union together. There is also a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune there as well (more about her later). However, due to time constraints, and a surprise addition, we bypassed the park.
Our next stop was Howard University. The university was created by the federal government, and to this day is owned by the federal government. It was named for General Oliver Otis Howard, who was known for his success in the western front of the Civil War, as well as being in charge of the Freedman's Bureau following the war. His house is there, on the Historic Register, and it was on his porch that he and Douglass would sit and talk. Howard was once known as the "Black Harvard" because in the time before affirmative action, when quotas dictated the number of students that went to other colleges, most of the top African American students went to Howard. On graduation day of 1965, that changed. President Lyndon Johnson stood in the quad, addressing the graduating class, and for the first time, used the phrase "affirmative action". According to Dr. Smith (who was there with his wife who was graduating from Howard), this policy damaged Howard University because more opportunities were opened to other colleges, and those top students no longer stayed at Howard. The campus is beautiful, highlighted by the library, which is modeled after Independence Hall in Philadelphia.
Our next stop was past the house of Mary McLeod Bethune, an African American educator who founded the school that later became known as Bethune-Cookman. She was also an adviser to Eleanor Roosevelt.
The final stop was to the Cathedral of Saint Matthew. Saint Matthew spent part of his ministry preaching in Ethiopia. The baptistery here features a depiction of Matthew baptizing an Ethiopian. So how appropriate that a cathedral for Saint Matthew is found in the greatest concentration of African Americans following the Civil War. The Cathedral is most famous for a couple of services. First, it was the church in which John F. Kennedy's funeral was held before his body was taken to Arlington National Cemetery.
The second service is known as Red Mass. It takes place on the first Sunday of October, the day before the new term of the Supreme Court commences. All of the Supreme Court Justices attend, and sit on the front row. The service is also attended by many politicians and religious leaders. Following the homily, the priest walks to the front row, and offers his arm to the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice walks down the aisle of the church and out the front door arm-in-arm with the priest. Many wonder why this happens, after all, there is supposed to be a separation of church and state. This act shows that you cannot totally separate the influence of religion from politics completely.
Listening to Dr. Smith talk about the changes in DC during his life was eye-opening. He understands that the story of African Americans from slavery to disenfranchised citizens to fully integrated members of the American society is a historical event that needs to be understood by all. He had some very thought-provoking observations and commentary to add. I hesitate to write more here, simply because I wouldn't want to misconstrue what he means, and skew people's view of him. If you ever have a chance to hear him speak, take full advantage of it.
MEET THE FELLOWS: Christopher Carl is our Fellow from Florida. I see Christopher as the sage of our group. He is fun to talk to, and can offer a tremendous insight to any discussion. He is a measured speaker, but you know that when he speaks in a discussion group or lecture, what he has to say will be thoughtful, if not thought-provoking. He has been a great guy to get to know over these last few weeks.
TOMORROW: A trip to the Federal Courthouse is on our agenda. Supposedly there is supposed to be a mock trial presented. This is the first time the Foundation has done this, so we are excited to see how it turns out!
No comments:
Post a Comment