Source: Universal History Archive / Getty
Famous documentarian and Harvard historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. says it’s time for Frederick Douglass to appear on the U.S. dollar.
Gates, who is also the executive producer behind the recently released HBO documentary, “Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches,” said that Douglass’s rich legacy as an abolitionist and profound orator broke barriers for generations of enslaved African Americans.
“Frederick Douglass has assumed his place not only as one of America’s great orators but also as one of the writers of the nineteenth century,” Gates told theGrio during an interview. “Was Douglass sometimes conservative, by today’s political standards Absolutely! Was he sometimes radical? Of course, that goes without saying.”
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The social reformer was born into slavery in 1818, but later taught himself how to read, receiving a few lessons from the wife of a slave owner. Douglass did the unthinkable in September of 1830, and escaped slavery by disguising himself as a free Black sailor. The freedom fighter boarded a train from Baltimore to New York, destined to break free from the shackles of his oppressors.
“I felt assured that if I failed in this attempt, my case would be a hopeless one,” he wrote in his very first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.“It would seal my fate as a slave forever…My whole future depended upon the decision of this conductor.” After securing his freedom, Douglass went on to launch his abolitionist newspaper The North Star in December of 1847.
Honoring Douglass’ profound legacy of activism would make perfect sense, but getting his face to appear on U.S. currency might be a bit challenging. According to Axios’ interview with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, it would take years for the agency to design the actual currency and “introduce new anti-counterfeit measures for banking systems.” Gates’ comment comes as the U.S. Treasury gears up to debut a new $20 bill that will commemorate legendary political activist, Harriet Tubman. The Underground Railroad leader will replace Andrew Jackson, who was a slave owner and a president known for forcibly removing Native Americans through the “Trail of Tears.” The bill is scheduled to be released in 2030, as the original design took years to conceptualize. The U.S. Treasury said that the process has been in the works since 2013, during the Obama Administration. The 2030 release date was put in place so that the department had enough time to test counterfeiting and safety protocols.
Back in January, another historic African American figure was honored on the front of U.S. currency. The iconic poet and memoirist Maya Angelou made history as the first Black woman to appear on the U.S. quarter. The coin is a part of the American Women Quarters Program that will include the images of prominent American female figures throughout history. According to the organization’s press release, more quarters in the series will be revealed throughout 2022 and 2025.
