National Park Experiences: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

In our ongoing features of experiences from employees, we’re pleased to have Lisa Turgeon-Williams, the manager of product development for National Trust Tours, shares her experience from a recent visit to the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C.

“This past July 5th, I attended a reenactment of the speech that Frederick Douglass gave at an event on July 5, 1852, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was biting oratory, in which Douglass told his audience, ‘This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.’ And he asked them, ‘Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak today?’ This speech was a part of American history that I was not aware of, and stood as a reminder to me of how far we have moved forward with civil rights as a nation and yet how much more room we have to grow.

Frederick Douglass freed himself from slavery and through decades of tireless efforts he helped to free millions more. His life was a testament to courage and persistence that continues to serve as an inspiration to those who struggle in the cause of liberty and justice.

After the end of the Civil War he moved to Washington, D.C., to carry on his work on behalf of black Americans. He served Washington in many ways: including international affairs, in the Council of Government for the District of Columbia, and finally as U.S. Marshal for the District. In 1877, he purchased his last home, the home that he named ‘Cedar Hill,’ located in Anacostia in southeast Washington, D.C.

I have lived in the D.C. area for more than nine years, but I am still a “newbie” to Anacostia. The recently restored Frederick Douglas House is a located a short walk from my own home. A visit to this historic site in Anacostia gives you the sense of viewing the past as it once was, and viewing history as it is now taking place, both in the surrounding neighborhood and in the country itself: a progression of positive growth and renewal for the entire community.”