Frederick Douglass was the main speaker at the 1883 National Colored Convention in Louisville, KY, using his great voice to rally against the injustices still encountered by former slaves in the era of Reconstruction. Black…
Tag: Frederick Douglass
Early 20th-century take on Wedgwood’s slave medallion
Posted in Black history, Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and history
The pencil drawing had all the hallmarks of the famous Wedgwood slave medallion from the 18th century. It showed an African American man, chains around his wrists and the words “Am I Not a Man…
When I walked into the community room at Mother Bethel AME Church, I saw a stack of boxes on a table. I was sure they contained the books I wanted badly to see. I was at…
Trying to biblically justify slavery in face of reality
Posted in Ephemera/Paper/Documents, and slavery
“The Duties of Servants.” On the surface, the broadside didn’t conjure the word “slavery” in my mind. But there it was among the slavery and abolition documents up for auction this week at Swann Auction…
On the trail of black history in Boston
Posted in Black history, Civil War, Military, and slavery
We had just arrived at the Visitors Center in Boston Common when the woman behind the counter mentioned the Black Heritage Trail tour starting at 2 p.m. It was about 15 minutes beforehand, and we were…
Privy to slop jars, chamber pots and the past
Posted in collectibles, and Home
“Maybe they cleaned it,” I said to the buyer slightly to the front of me as she hugged the slop jar/chamber pot she’d just gotten at auction. “They” were the previous owners who had once used…