Descendant of Frederick Douglass to lead group around Scottish sites visited by abolitionist
Frederick Douglass visited Scotland in the 19th century
The three times great grandson of US abolitionist campaigner Frederick Douglass is to lead a walk around the towns and cities visited by his forefather as he fought to spread the word against slavery.
More than 30 Americans, all members of the Douglass Travel Club, will bring its inaugural trip, Walking in Freedom, to life in Scotland as an “immersive travel experience” centred on the legacy of Frederick Douglass, his work against slavery and the ongoing pursuit of freedom.
Kenneth B Morris Junior, a direct descendant of Douglass, will spend five days in Scotland, visiting locations important to the abolitionist during his time spent in the country during the 19th century, with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Perth on the tour map.
Locations include the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh and the former Ladies’ Emancipation Society on Waterloo Place, now a Howie’s restaurant.
A property where he threw red paint on the doorsteps of people who received compensation for the abolition of slavery on George Street, as well as the Quaker Meeting house, where he spoke, will also be included on the tour, as well as his home on Gilmore Place.
In Glasgow, they will visit locations including the University of Glasgow, where abolitionist James McCune Smith received his degrees and had connections to Douglass.
As the most widely-travelled abolitionist of the 19th century, Douglass took his message of freedom across England, Scotland, Ireland, and Europe, forging alliances and influencing global movements for justice.
It was from a Scottish poem, The Lady of the Lake, by Sir Walter Scott, that he chose the surname “Douglass” after escaping slavery- forever linking his identity to Scotland.
The club was founded by Kenneth B Morris Junior and Dr Paulette Brown-Hinds, publisher of Black Voice News and long-time conductor of Footsteps to Freedom Tours, the Douglass Travel Club was created to transform historical travel into an opportunity for connection, discovery, reflection, and meaning-making.
Mr Morris said: “As Frederick Douglass’s great-great-great-grandson, I traveled to Scotland for the first time this past November to deliver the University of Edinburgh’s Carnegie Lecture at the Assembly Rooms, where my ancestor spoke at least six times. That experience changed my relationship to this history in ways I hadn’t expected.
“To stand on that stage, walk those floors, and speak in a place where his voice once rang out collapsed the distance between history and the man whose legacy has become such an important part of my own life and work.”
He added: “Frederick Douglass’s story gives us a place to begin, but ultimately, I want people to leave Scotland thinking about their own place in the ongoing struggle for freedom and the responsibility we each have to carry forward what our ancestors have passed down.”
Dr Brown-Hinds visited Scotland during the Fringe last year and learned about Douglass’s Scottish connections.
“I called Ken and told him we had to start our trips in Scotland,” she said. “Douglass considered Edinburgh the most beautiful city in the world and when you walk it, you do see why he loved it.”
The group will also meet with local politicians in Glasgow to talk about how to repair the effects of slavery.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that a “poetic meditation” on Douglass by Turner Prize-nominated artist Isaac Julien is to be brought to Scotland - to be showcased in Perth Museum, in the exact place where he delivered four speeches against the slave trade.
The Walking in Freedom: Scotland journey takes place from October 6 to 11.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.