Jill Clarridge, Bremerton
Kitsap Sun July 16, 2020
Last night I was reading the recent (2018) biography of Frederick Douglass, ''Prophet of Freedom,'' by D. Blight. In 1870, Douglass, who was well-known because of his best-selling autobiographies, his numerous speaking engagements and his important contributions towards ending slavery, spoke clearly about the same issues that confront us today in our efforts to correct injustice.
He recognized and publicized the denying of rights specified in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution to formerly enslaved people and people of color by the majority of the white ruling class.
He especially called-out the lie that became a myth that the confederacy had never fought to preserve slavery but had fought for state sovereignty and homeland. They didn’t! He spoke with disgust of the increasing veneration of the Confederate military and the laments over the lost gracious way of life. He wrote “The South has a past not to be contemplated with pleasure but with a shudder. She has been selling agony, trading in blood and the souls of men”. In this light, it is easy to understand why certain statues and base names that glorify that past are offensive.
One hundred and fifty years later, instead of recognizing the actual history of slavery, the myths that Douglass spoke about have grown and are shared by some as a reality.
What harmony we might achieve if we could agree on the same set of truths and facts!
Jill Clarridge, Bremerton
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