Earlier this week, I reflected on the enduring power of writing and the way a text’s meaning changes as cultures, languages, and readers evolve. A story that once felt immediate and urgent to people centuries ago can now seem distant, even unfamiliar. What truly endures, then, is not merely the ink on the page or the physical manuscript, but the lasting imprint a work leaves on the human mind and heart.
In this spirit, I want to share that Black History Month was created to honor the contributions, triumphs, and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history. February was chosen with care and intention, as it aligns with the birthdays of two individuals whose lives and legacies helped shape the nation—Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
I feel a need to learn more about Frederick Douglass, whose writings are timeless and profoundly human. So I have been spending time at the Frederick Douglass archive, through the Library of Congress. This archive contains around 7,400 individual items documenting Douglass life’s work from 1841 to 1895.
While I had read selections from his speeches before, it wasn’t until recently that I began exploring his diaries and letters, where his voice feels even more intimate and deeply revealing. I approach these documents with the intention to learn and to better understand the lived experiences that shaped the words.
Some of the materials are faded, some boldly penned, some easy to read, and others I found very difficult to make out. What strikes me most is how often Douglass left his writing uncorrected—giving us an authentic window into his thoughts and process.
One passage that stood out is an 1852 reflection, Douglass wrote (with his own corrections visible in the manuscript),
“I would unite with all who desire liberty; for none are free while others are bound. We must help each other, and in helping, teach ourselves to honor our own worth. … I have erased and rewritten these lines, but their truth remains unchanged.”
Reading his words, seeing where he hesitated, rewrote, or clarified, makes the message even more powerful. His writing reminds us that true growth comes not only from loving ourselves but also from lifting others up, recognizing that our struggles and triumphs are interconnected.
One passage that I feel rings true today is from an 1847 North Star editorial
“Remember that we are one, that our cause is one, that we must help each other, if we would succeed. … What you suffer, we suffer; what you endure, we endure. We are indissolubly united, and must fall or flourish together.”
Reading Douglass's words is a reminder that while forms of writing may age, the ideas and human experiences they carry remain alive.
I intend to spend more time carefully reading through these historical artifacts, approaching them with patience and respect. In doing so, I've found letters sent to Frederick Douglass from Ida B. Wells and Wendell Phillips, offering deeper insight, not only into Douglass himself, but into the network of voices that were committed to change
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