sergeant major lewis douglass was one of them. he was one of the highest ranking african-american soldiers in the 54th. he was known as a very calm and courageous leader. i think you see that there in his stance and in his expression. frederick douglass was someone who very much understood the power of photography and how photography could be used to spread his image across the land. and in spreading his image, helped to spread his ideas and helped convince people of the merit of his ideas. i think that you can see his son here has also inculcated some of that understanding of how useful photography could be to him. look at the way he's standing. he has his arms crossed, look at the way he's standing. he has his arms crossed, standing up very straight, very confidently. look at the way he has angled himself, so that we can see those sergeant major stripes. he is displaying them quite proudly, quite confidently. or look to this photograph of sergeant henry steward. he had been responsible for getting a number of people to enlist in

someone who rivaled frederick douglass and prominence in the 1850s. and along these walls here we have pictures of some of the members of the 54th. we've begun of course with a picture of colonel robert gould shaw. he was offered the commission as colonel of the regimen by governor andrew. that was one of the first things that governor andrew. did he made sure that he had very firm leadership of the 54th. at the time military regulations stipulated that the in the rank and file soldiers could be african-americans, but the officers had to be white. that was the rule at the time and governor andrew knew that it was important to have the leadership of the 54th be men from strong abolitionist families, which shah's family was so he offered the leadership to shaw. shaw was initially hesitant about accepting it. you might have heard or seen the movie glory which came out in the late 1980s starring denzel washington and matthew broderick matthew broderick played shaw and the movie depicts very well shahs in this initial reluctance about accepting the commiss

the narrative of history lessons, as we think of this portrait of charles douglass, frederick douglass' son. after his father sent the call for colored men to arms, this is a way of looking at his try, posing before he entering into the war. but the pose, as he is prepared to fight. prepared to fight with his brother, lewis douglass, who has a number of letters in exchange with his fiance, amelia. and he posed for the photographer in boston, his photograph is in howard university, but he says, i've been in two fights, and i am unhurt. i believe we have another fight tonight. he says, if i survive, i shall write you a long letter, and then he describes the people who were wounded from her city in upstate new york. and then he writes another, my dear girl, while i am away, do not fret yourself to death. i beg of you do not, please. also concerned about her life, her concerns, and his fiance, he talks also about the experience of the welfare of the men in the camp. he talks about the loss of the three who died in ft. wagner. and these are experiences that give light to the images that bre

in charles and frederick douglass, you call him your euro he is really a great example that i think with these paradigms that you are talking about and we need to go back and empowering individuals. charles: that is right. as i write in the book, he is a role model for social entrepreneurs and not only because he overcame so much and in spite of that, of what he had to overcome, the he accomplished so much. he described his home moment what caused him to do that a lesson that not that we will be frederick douglass or accomplish what he did but that we can learn from that and if i could just mentioned that a few of them. i think it's important for i the first was when he was eight years old. he learned that he was not a slave although he was born in slavery, it was not a slave because he was inferior, he was a slave because he was being kept ignorant. so he determined to change thatg and through ingenious methods taught himself how to read. and then the moment was then when he was 16 he got the opportunity to teach sunday school to others who are enslaved. and of course he had to teach as

in his attempts to convince black men to enlist in the war, frederick douglass declared that, quote, you are however not only a man but an american citizen. and you have hitherto expressed in various ways not only your willingness but desire to fulfill any and every obligation which the relation of citizenship imposes. military service in particular was a hallmark of civic virtue or the manner in which someone supported the broader interest of the republic. douglass spent decades thinking through the political ideology of the country's revolution and understood that civic virtue qualified people for membership and participation in the affairses of of the republic. nothing quite captured personal sacrifice for the greater good of the country than military service. and douglass believed the arrow would ignite an important debate about citizenship with black soldiers in mind. indeed singleton, charlie, william and samuel williams understood the myriad of ways service might alter the social status of enslaved people without ever hearing a word of douglass eloquent words or lieber's argum

if you lookk at someone like frederick douglass and then to say i cannot measure up to that makes themthey don't have the individual contribution to make so what is interesting in the book with many case studies of a vibrant civil society and the state encroaching on our lives. those organizations helping to usewi with poverty are get themselves on the right trajectory. and individuals do make a difference. >> tell us more about those. >> and what we try to do in the book is tell stories that provide a guide for people who are looking to contribute to move our country closer to those ideals. the north star if you have a story like frederick douglass you think that goodness for incredible people like him. it will only be exceptional people like douglas that will move the country forward because the history of our country is a history of struggling to address injustices moving us closer to the north star in the social entrepreneurs that have done that, if you are panel of experts. and with the enslaved individual and he finds his gift and finds a way to literally change the course of wor

i'm not claiming any more than douglass did that all northerners were saints and all southerners wereons but account for the worst excesses its costs or the human suffering and fallibility and cruelty on both sides. it remained a reviewable that on the central issue of slavery union and confederate ideology were starkly opposed. union ideology was based on free labor and majority rule and insist as a slaveholder should no longer rule the country with the framework in which change and progress were possible not inevitable and not easy but possible the big years like frederick douglass and harriet tubman who faced immense diversity had cracked open the door for change. confederate ideology bike contrast was in defense of slavery and the supremacy of slaveholders flatly rejected the possibility of progress. they were enemies of change and they sought to slow that freedom and chain it shut. .. the right side won the war and fell to us still to fulfill the promise of that victory. thank you. >> hello. i'm aga that and i'm a junior at the high school and a member of the student advisory cou

figures like frederick douglass and harriet tubman had cracked open the door to change.derate ideology, by contrast, with its defense of slavery and of the political supremacy ofef slaveholders, flatly rejected the possibility of progress. confederates were the a avowed enemies of change, and they sought to close that door to freedom and chain it shut. .. the right side won the war and fell to us still to fulfill the promise of that victory. thank you. >> hello, everyone. my name is agatha, i am a junior at madison high school and a member of the student advisory council of the institute of american history. i'm honored to introduce our next guest this evening, larry d.al walker, who will be acknowledging the finalists. larry is a businessman and civic leader, an alum and trustee of gettysburg college and a member of the group which ultimately determines the prize winners. we're honored to have him with us tonight. larry, please tell us about the 2021 finalists. tonight on the t ever online lincoln prize event. in the year marked by national crisis and division, scholars

1930s included our palms from celebrated writers from francis scott key walt whitman and frederick douglass as well as the work of lesser-known poets kim roberts is the author of a literary guide to washington dc walking in the footsteps of american writers from francis scott key and five books of poems most recently the scientific method. a rage collection the collection focuses on topics such as race, corruption, gun violence, police neutrality, reproductive freedom and sexual harassment and abuse of women tara campbell is and writer, teacher, fellow and fiction editor and received her msa from american university and the author of the novel have three other collections. and cabinet of wrath. moderating the discussion between the three powerful poets is an award-winning literary activist and author of two memoirs hosting the w - - morning radio show on the margin and host and produces the scholars. with the 2020 tell the award in the latest book and poetry by the black caucus. the only regret not only celebrating your work in person here in gaithersburg. >> nice to be with you. and then t

i know that is taken from an great quote from frederick douglass and charles leno frederick douglass, he's really a great example of the paradigm you are talking about in self-actualization and empowering the individual. >> that is right. ps i write in the book i wrote in the book that he is a role model for social entrepreneurs and not only because he overcame so much and in spite of that of what he had to overcome the accomplish so much. as he described his ah-ha moments, what caused him to do that and so there is a lesson for all of us, not that we are going to be frederick douglass or accomplish what he did but we can learn from bad and if i could just mention a few of them, i think it's important. the first one was when he was eight years old. he learned that he wasn't a slave although he was warned in slavery, he wasn't a slave because he was inferior, he was a slave because he was being kept ignorant and so he was determined to change that and he threw ingenious methods taught himself to read in the next ah-ha moment for him was when he was 16 he got the opportunity to teach su

we do a lot of frederick douglass reading the narrative in several of his speeches. i was happy to see kim spoke, one of his poems is there. he certainly not known for poems. and i love to introduce students to a poet named george horton. as countries amazing and is very 19th century for lines stances but it's also very clear and crisp lettuce experience as an enslaved person in his biography is the most distinctive thing in american lit and i think the students will experience. he is to crime a vegetable wagon from the plantation to the newly founded university of north carolina chapel hill on sundays. and eventually me in writing poems for students girlfriend is to give the girlfriends. and he would talk with them and they realize he was a poet he became friends and professors wife helped him get in first couple of his books published. and he eventually asked his master if he could live in the chapel hill. hogan is poems the slaveowner agrees laws he faced a certain amount of money today which he does. we lived until emancipation off the plantation like off-campus

included are problems by celebrated writers such as walt whitman and frederick douglass as well is the kim roberts is the author of the literary guide to washington dc. walking in the footsteps of american fighters from francis to others and five books of poems. in the most recently, the scientific method. "political af" by campbell, is a hybrid chapbook of poetry in the collection focuses on topics such as race, corruption, gun violence, police brutality confederate monuments and reproductive freedom in the sex harassment and it abusive women. campbell is writer and teacher and fellow and fiction editor. she received her msa from american university and the author of the novel tribulation and three other collections. bicycle, midnight, and cabinet of wrath, adult collection. moderating in the discussion between these three powerful poets, as ethel miller. in award-winning literary activist and author to memoirs and several poetry collections. he hosted w pf morning radio show, with ethelbert miller and house and produces which received at 2020 ward, his latest book, as god invented a

during the civil war, douglas douglass wrote a number of lectures and comments of the war and once you, the black men get upon his person the breath of the war, let him get the eagle on the chest and the musket on his shoulder, and let him earn the rights of citizen ship. i write that oath just in terms of the aspect of the individual individuality of the photograph. and this is central to my research, and as we are looking at the missing history of these images, and this is a self-portrait and antebellum dress styled with the quilt, and she says, i looked and i looked to see what so terrified you. she is looking for the images of the black people that were made, and that denigrated and imagined black bodies as subhuman, and she created this space of louie agassi's research on black bodies and i also rediscovered this image of the plantation scene as entitled antebellum tableau by shawn mullin, and it is a fascinating story as i am trying to place the land, and place the personal experience and place the memory of the enslavement and also of the civil war. here we see a land owner who

we do a lot of frederick ot douglass, reading the narrative, reading several of his speeches. i was happy to see in kim's book one of his poems is there because he's certainly not known or poems.i loved to introduce students to a poet named george moses horton. his poetry is amazing. it's very 19th-century, 4 line stanzas but it's also clear and crisp about his experience as an enslaved person . his biography is the most distinctive thing in american lit i think that students will experience. he used it to drive a vegetable wagon from the plantation to the newly founded university of north carolina chapel hill on sundays to fill the masters vegetables. eventually he began writing poems for students girlfriends, unc students to give their girlfriends. he would talk with them and realize he was a poet. the professor's wife helped him to get his first couple of books published. he eventually asked the master if he can live in chapel hill and work on his poems and the slave owner agrees as long as he pays a certain amount of money a day a which he does. so he lives until emancipat

. >> david knows more about frederick douglass been frederick douglass. >> i had a conversation withvid spoke and i just listed the rough cut for our documentary aired on hbo, fingers crossed. >> i've got one final question, how can we intimate the black church promote the book into a k-12 curriculum? >> jim and i have talked about this, this is a prelude, my dear friend who needs no introduction to this audience, asked me to work with him on the reconstruction curriculum and the black church and he's a hard man, a hard person to say no to so i would like your input about thato because i did, i want to give a shout out pain when random house in the audience, what i did was found a way to tell black history through the mechanism of the evolution of the black church so like turning a telescope around so instead of pitting the church into history of african-americans freedom, i turned it around and saw black people through the church, the evolution of that denomination. remember i was 20 tell you about the triangular structure. >> yes. >> so richard i already talked about, he was born i

figures like frederick douglass and harriet coming in the face of immense adversity had cracked openhange . confederate ideology by contrast was of the political supremacy of slaveholders flatly rejected the possibility of progress. confederates worthy of our enemies of frchange and they sought toclose that door of freedom and chain shops . they union cause as frederick douglass put it himself invoking the war of ideas was based upon the broadest and grandest declaration of human rights the world ever heard or read and the confederacy was based upon a shocking denial of all rights. the right side won the war but has still to fulfill the promise of that victory. >> my name is i just in your go, a junior and a member of the student advisory council of the institute of american history. i'm honored to introduce our next guest larry d walker who will be acknowledging silence in 2021 lincoln class . larry is a businessman and alum and trustee of gettysburg college and a member of the group that ultimately determines the prizes. we are honored to have him withus today . please tell usabout

walt whitman and frederick douglass as well as the work of lesser known poets. kim roberts is the author of eight literary guide to washington d.c., walking in the footsteps of american writers from francis scott key and five books of poems. most recently the scientific method, political af arrays collection by campbell is the hybrid chapbook of poetry and prose. the collection focuses on topics such as race, corruption, son violence, police brutality, confederate monuments, reproductive freedom and the sexual harassment of abusive women. he is a writer, teacher, fellow in fiction editor at barrel house. she received her msa from american university and has been moved to the author of the novel and three other collection, derksen bicycle, midnight and cabinet of wrath a collection moderate the discussion between three powerful poets is e ethel berg miller award-winning literary activist and author of two memoirs and several poetry collections. he house the morning radio show, with e ethelbert miller which received 82020 kelly award. his latest book is god invent

i think he would've talk to frederick douglass about it or booker t. washington and all the people who talk about it today. i think he would've looked how do we do this? >> how were the canals financed? there was some speculation in the stock market so explain how this was financed. >> this is one of the interesting stories of american finance when they financed they floated some bonds which were horribly inadequate. for those sections of the canal which in management theory probably not a good idea in today's age you hire one contractor. for the contract out for bid and in the best bidder gets the job. and they send notices out to ireland to say to promise the poor irish guys doing to be a navigator? that's what they called them a navigator digging it by hand. so at first it was an undercapitalized project then they got foreign financing and then to build the canals of course the land-grant system is basically you get the land and you find the money to build it some money was raised for the transcontinental railroad mostly bonds but a lot of foreign i

figures like frederick douglass and harriet tubman in the face of adversity had cracked open the doorconfederate ideology by contrast with its defense to slavery and the political supremacy of slaveholders they sought to close the door of freedom. the union caused frederick douglass invoking the war of ideas based upon the broadest and grandest declaration of human rights the world ever heard or read and based upon the denial of all rights. the right side won the war and it falls on us still to fulfill the promise of the victory. thanks. >> hello, everyone. my name is addison and i'm a junior and member of the student advisory council of the institute of american history. i'm honored at the game next to guest this evening will be acknowledging the 2021 guilder lehrman lincoln prize. larry is a businessman and civic leader and getting through college and a member of the guilder lehrman lincoln prize which ultimately determines the prize winners. we are honored to have him with us tonight. please tell us about the 2021 finalists. >> thank you and good evening. it is a privilege to be he

think about this project and to encourage the project is the research that i've found on frederick douglass his words. so was it was a civil war that inspired douglas to write and speak on photography like many americans. he believed that photographs and pictures greatly contributed to the succession and a war over slavery during the civil war douglas wrote a number of lectures. he also had created this sense of man the sense of commitment to the war and he wrote once you the black man get upon his person the breath letter us. let him get an eagle on his button and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket and there's no power on earth or under earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in the united states. finding that quote and i use it often just in terms of in the aspect of the visuality of the experience of being photographed harry may weems is a contemporary artist who is central to my research. so i look she as we think about the missing history of images carrie may weems. creates this self-portraits and an antebellum dress style with with a quilt and

and you'll see the image of john brown and frederick douglass. and we have the first edition works of the biography of frederick douglass as well. and behind you one of my favorite artifacts is down here on the bottom of the case. and it is known as the beacher's bible. her father henry beecher was a staunch abolitionist as well. he took sharp rifles, put them into a case and would ship them to kansas in support of the abolitionist movement. this isn't an exact quote but close to it. henry ward beecher said if he can't convince slave owners through the word of god that enslavement of the african people was wrong, perhaps he could convince them by looking down the barrel of a rifle. so he would pack these up, put them on a train, marked them as bibles so you wouldn't be sus -- suspicious as they were transported to kansas. >> he talks about formation of the american bible society which today is still largest in the world, even though there are bible societies in virtually all countries, the american bible society is still the largest and helps fun

and i think that he would've talked to frederick douglass, booker washington, and others all the people that were talking about it today as well. and i think he would've taken a hard look at how we do this. >> how are the canal is financed? can you explain? >> this is an interesting story about american finance. and it floated down, horribly inadequate, what they do is we're going to work private contracts that can hire their own workers and they said probably not a good idea. and they would send notices out to ireland and say okay, they promised these guys and that is what they called them, navigators. and then they have foreign financing. lot of money came into holding these canals and of course the land grant system as well and there was some money raised and again it was mostly bonds, but there was a lot of investing. >> john, with 19 books, what is number 20 going to be about? >> i'm hoping that it will bring about every neighborhood in the country, climate change is the existential threat. well, how do we enjoy nature in the middle of the city. and how do we clean the air and stuf

we have the first addition of the biography of frederick douglass as well.one of my very favorite artifact, down here at the very bottom of the case, it is a rifle, it is known as the beaters a bible. we have talked about harriet beach or stow, her husband -- sorry, her father henry was a staunch abolitionist as well. what he did was, he took these sharp rivals, put them into a case and would ship them to kansas in support of the abolitionist movement. this is an exact quote, but it is close to it henry would beechor would say that if you can't convince the slave owners that the word of god, the enslavement of the african people is wrong, perhaps you can convince them by looking down the barrel of a rifle. he would pack these up, put them on a train, but mark them as bible so you would not be suspicious as they were being transported to kansas. >> this series also talks about the formation of the american bible society, which today is still the largest in the world. the bible societies in portugal countries, the american bible society is one of the largest,

so news of this hits the black community had frederick douglass goes nuts because they said no.ments is that this is our home. we are not africans we are not going to liberia or sierra leone that was set up for africans captured by the british on ships. and then library of course set up by the colonization society to free the african-americans to go back. they were not from liberia by and large and very few of the ancestors by 25 percent we know because of the amazing database and then 25 percent of the ancestors came from gambia which was heavily muslim and those that came from congo angola into amazing things that i learned that historians argue about the percentage but that is the figure given by he would that about 20 percent were muslims when they got on the boat. >> i did not know that until i read the book. >> i told the story in the book and i interview one of his descendents and he left behind the manuscript and how to find mecca and pray to the east and the first black church and then to argue about the first black church but the first african baptist church in savanna

. >> abraham lincoln and frederick douglass knew each other well, tell us how their relationship impactedincoln's values and policiesow. >> modern, i think that would happen in front, lincoln was the first president who welcomed douglas into the white house. douglas was an accomplished thinker, speaker, abolitionist, he wrote two autobiographies. he's amazing, he opens up the whole issue of slavery and economic quality of what we need to do, probably no better person if you want to understand to read frederick douglass. douglas was very critical of lincoln in the early here's even though theyer talked, a fairly negative as a basis. lincoln welcomed him in, douglas didn't think we can was doing enough to end slavery, emancipation proclamation didn't and slavery in totality it was an incomplete declaration that freed slaves to fight through the side so that is one interpretation. all the pieces that needed to fall, equal education and funding infrastructure for every community would come later but douglas lived in the 1880s and pretty much was advocating for equal rights, at the 1893 positi

and then, of course, frederick douglass. we have the -- the first edition works of the biography of frederick douglass, as well. and behind you, one of my very favorite artifacts is down here, in the very bottom of the case. and it's known -- it's a sharp's rival but it's known as the beacher's bible. and now, we have talked about harriet beecher stowe. her husband -- i'm sorry, her father, henry beecher was a staunch abolitionist, as well. and what he did is he took these sharp rifles and he put them into a case or crates and he would ship them to kansas in support of the abolitionist movement and this isn't an exact quote but it's close to it. henry ward beecher said that if he can't convince the slave owners, through the word of god, that the enslavement of the african people was wrong, perhaps he can convince them by looking down the barrel of a rifle. and so, he would pack these up, put them on a train but he marked them as bibles so you wouldn't be suspicious as they were being transported to kansas. >> also, talks abo

included our poems by celebratedit writers such as francis scott key, walt whitman and frederick douglass as well as the work of lesser-known poets. kim roberts is the author of a literary guide to washington dc walking inlk the footsteps of american writers from francis scott key and five books of poems most recently the scientific method political af the hybrid book of poetry and prose focusing on topics such as race, corruption, gun violence police brutality reproductive freedom in sexual harassment and abuse of women. campbell is a writer, teacher, fellow and fiction editor receiving her msa from american university and the author of the novel of three other collections and cabinet of wrath. moderating the discussion between these three powerful poetss is an award-winning literary activist and author of two memoirs and several poetry collections he host the morning radio show and host and produces on tv which has the 2020 award. his latest book is god invented baseball awarded the 2019 literary award for poetry by the black caucus of the american library association. as a turn it over

he at one point even meets a delegation led by frederick douglass, who remember, has met lincoln, has been received politely by lincoln. johnson meets him, and he calls him the darky delegation, right? when they leave, his secretary recalls this nowadays we have hot mics that catch people say, you know, politicians sometimes are caught saying things that are really crude and awful. sometimes they just say it openly, but his secretary recorded this. and johnson said about this black delegation that had come to plead with him for black rights, the right to vote, et cetera, led by the great frederick douglass, these are his exact words and i pardon my french because he's a pretty crude guy. one of the crudest american presidents, actually. he says those damn sons of bitches thought they had me in a truth. i know that damned douglass, he's just like any, quote, nigger, and he would sooner cut a white man's throat than not. this is the president of the united states talking about a black delegation headed by frederick douglass coming to him. rarely have we seen presidents talk in that mann

i think it would discussed in an talk to frederick douglass about it and he lived he would've talk tothe people are talking about it today. and even think that he would've taken a hard look at this. >> , canals finance, publicly privately and also the railroad. in others a lot of speculation. can you explain how this whole process was financed predict. john: this is one ofd the interesting stories of american finance. example of the state of illinois financed and if loaded dunbar which were horribly inadequate to pay for this and when it did is they said okay we will work the contracts to private contractors and hire their own workers to build small sections of the canal. the management was probably thinking probably not a good idea. today's a to hire one a contracr for the contract out for bid in the best bidder gets the job well anyway,y, they would send noticesob out to ireland and otr countries and say you want to be a navigator on the canal, they call them navigators and are digging this thing by hand. so first it was this really undercapitalized project that he got foreign finan

figures like frederick douglass and harriet tubman who faced immense divert -- immense adversity openr change. with its defense of and the political supremacy of slaveholders flat -- flatly rejected it. they sought to close that door and chain it shut. the union as frederick douglass called himself invoking the war of ideas is based upon the separation of human rights in the confederacy of the space upon denial of all rights. the right side won the war and its its first up is still the promise of that history. thanks. >> hello everyone. my name is agatha and i met jr. and a member of the senior ouadvisory council of the gilded lamb institute of history but i'm honored to introduce our next guest this evening terry walker who would give the lincoln prize. he's an alum and trustee and member of the gilder lehrman lincoln high school. we are honored to have him with us tonight. larry please tell us about the 2021 finalists. >> thank you agatha. it is a privilege to be here with you my first ever on a velincoln event. the year marks a national crisis. it reminds us that unity is possible

for the most famous african-american leaders in the 19th century really of all times, frederick douglass gave several speeches we spoke about african-americans might find land of peace in the west and how the states should support this endeavor financially. but to support this appeal, douglas immigrated native americans so it is speech to the american enterprise the city of 1869, douglas estes. negro is like a white man in the indian and the taste and tendencies in this position to accept civilization. the union rejects our civilization and it is not filled with the negro coming he remains with you under all circumstances and slavery and it freedom. now here we can see the clear dichotomy be made between african-americans and white americans in one hand and native americans on the other hand in the first native americans are on the bedside the uncivilized side. and really joining african-american goals behavior with the white people are civilizations heard in another earlier speech, for the landless. and the people of the national domain was an enterprising and intelligent and race of im

i went to this field, there was a famous fight douglass had with this slave owner, edward covey. i became obsessed by how it was unrecognized, there was no notice of any kind that he had ever been there. i started to do an oral history project, started talking to people to see how many people knew that douglas had spent this year there. the two things that were important about the walk, with the importance of place, acknowledging the history in certain places that might have been washed away or forgotten, and also a different view of this fight we are all having over which statues to have and which ones to maintain, teardown. part of my point is, we can have that debate about which statues to take down, but we should also be debating which things to note, which things to either celebrate or highlight that we might not already be celebrating or highlighting. a lot of my walk was animated by the desire to find those places and be in those places. susan: all of the threats come -- the threads come together. before we get into the specifics of the walk, i think a lot of people were v