Douglas Park - soon to be Frederick Douglass Park - is located on Chicago's west side. It was originally named for that now controversial former US Senator Stephen Douglas. Sen. Douglas' claim to fame was that in 1860 he was the Democrat nominee for President of the United States. Of course Douglas lost to the first Republican President Abraham Lincoln - for those of you who think all 44 POTUS are racists he actually freed the slaves.
Anyway what was the controversy now over Sen. Douglas - he inherited slaves and a southern plantation through his marriage to his wife. There is a monument in Bronzeville or formerly the Black Belt where many Blacks at least before the 1960s resided in Chicago. And of course the now under investigation Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan began the process of removing Sen. Douglas' portrait from the floor of his chamber.
Anyway I'm sharing this link from CapFax:
I felt like adding this piece of local history the Douglas Branch now known as the CTA Pink Line was named for this park although currently this line goes as far west at 54th & Cermak in the infamous town of Cicero, Illinois. These days the Douglas Branch is often referred to as the Cermak branch although the more common name for this L route is the Pink Line.
Also Miller noted this interesting tidbit Stephen Douglas like Frederick Douglass actually had an extra S in his family name.
BTW, I'm glad that we're naming a city park for a Black Republican. 😛
ALSO, we're interested in all aspects of Blackness right now with celebrations and observances of Juneteenth last month Frederick Douglass has a book now in the public domain. In fact his autobiography, I should have a link in the sidebar of it (checked it and had to change link). Since there are people out there who are ignorant of history, one should read this man's story and gain some context. I will!
Anyway what was the controversy now over Sen. Douglas - he inherited slaves and a southern plantation through his marriage to his wife. There is a monument in Bronzeville or formerly the Black Belt where many Blacks at least before the 1960s resided in Chicago. And of course the now under investigation Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan began the process of removing Sen. Douglas' portrait from the floor of his chamber.
Anyway I'm sharing this link from CapFax:
After years-long fight, Douglas Park to be renamed for Frederick Douglass https://t.co/vVb44o60yX— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) July 22, 2020
Also Miller noted this interesting tidbit Stephen Douglas like Frederick Douglass actually had an extra S in his family name.
The younger Douglas would drop the second “s” from his name in 1846, the year after the publication of Frederick Douglass’s first autobiography; it is unknown if these two events were connected.There you go Douglass Park named for both Sen. Douglass and the famed Black abolitionist Douglass.
BTW, I'm glad that we're naming a city park for a Black Republican. 😛
ALSO, we're interested in all aspects of Blackness right now with celebrations and observances of Juneteenth last month Frederick Douglass has a book now in the public domain. In fact his autobiography, I should have a link in the sidebar of it (checked it and had to change link). Since there are people out there who are ignorant of history, one should read this man's story and gain some context. I will!
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| Frederick Douglass |
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