Harriet Tubman
Frederick Douglass
These men & women stood out among the masses and lived in ways that deserve generations & generations of honor & respect.
Frederick Douglass (1818-95) was a prominent American abolitionist, author and orator. Born a slave, Douglass escaped at age 20 and went on to become a world-renowned anti-slavery activist. His three autobiographies are considered important works of the slave narrative tradition as well as classics of American autobiography. Douglass' work as a reformer ranged from his abolitionist activities in the early 1840s to his attacks on Jim Crow and lynching in the 1890s. For 16 years he edited an influential black newspaper and achieved international fame as an inspiring and persuasive speaker and writer. In thousands of speeches and editorials, he levied a powerful indictment against slavery and racism, provided an indomitable voice of hope for his people, embraced antislavery politics and preached his own brand of American ideals.
Harriet Tubman was born a slave in 1820. After escaping, she aided the Union army as a spy and helped rescue dozens of slaves by guiding them on dangerous escapes from safe house to safe house. Tubman spent her life fighting for the rights of slaves and former slaves. It was unheard of at the time for a black woman to be so active in politics, including abolitionism and women’s suffrage. Tubman fought tirelessly for black men and women and lived strongly in her faith. To help young children understand the immense achievements of Tubman’s life, read Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford.
Image credit: Public Domain
Nathanial "Nat" Turner (1800-1831) was a black American slave who led the only effective, sustained slave rebellion (August 1831) in U.S. history. Spreading terror throughout the white South, his action set off a new evil wave of oppressive legislation prohibiting the education, movement, and assembly of slaves and stiffened proslavery, anti-abolitionist convictions that persisted in that region until the American Civil War (1861–65).
Author Zora Neale Hurston was born in 1891 in Alabama, but often called Eatonville, Florida her birthplace. Located near Orlando, Eatonville was one of the first all-black towns formed after the Emancipation Proclamation. Hurston is most well known for her novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God, which was published in 1937. It’s an unflinching look at love and loss set in the racially charged early 1900s. To help kids ages 10 and up learn about the challenges faced by Zora Neale Hurston, try the fictionalized tale of her childhood, Zora and Me by Victoria Bond and T.R. Simon.
Image credit: Creative Commons - Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-79898]
Nat Turner
Zora Neale Hurston
While many lived only few were alive
Ella Fitzgerald
Iconic performer Ella Fitzgerald was born in 1917 and faced a tumultuous upbringing, including times of being homeless and living in an orphanage. Known as the First Lady of Song, Fitzgerald made her singing debut in her teens and quickly rose to fame for her electric charisma and amazing vocal range. Fitzgerald had a long career as a jazz musician, leading the way for black women to succeed in solo musical careers. She used her success as a launchpad for charitable giving and awareness for causes like heart health and literacy. Play your children one of Fitzgerald’s memorable performances, such as Gershwin’s Summertime.
Image credit: Creative Commons - Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [reproduction number LC-USZ62-100859]
Influential People
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey, seized the attention of both white and black Americans with his powerful oratory and ideas about separatism. During the 1920s, the UNIA, the foundation of Garvey's movement, became what historian Lawrence Levine has called "the broadest mass movement" in African-American history.