Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

As a man who writes three autobiographies over the course of his lifetime, Douglass is obviously bedeviled by the question of who he is. Though his mother is a distant figure, he can at least remember her. His father is another matter. There are two probable candidates as Douglass’s biological father. The first is his mother’s master, Aaron Anthony. The second is Anthony’s son-in-law, Thomas Auld. In later years, Douglass rejects the possibility that Anthony is his father. His reconciliation with Auld suggests that he wants to establish a rapport with the man before it is too late. Auld’s surprising willingness to offer freedom to Douglass rather than sell him indicates some familial feeling, as would his complimentary view of the ex-enslaved person’s intelligence.

Even though Auld readily tells Douglass that he was born in 1818, the orator can never be sure of the date and year of his birth. Toward the end of his life, he continues to search for documentation on the subject. This need to pin down a date that he can affix to his birth is symptomatic of the much larger issue of identity that plagues him throughout life.

Douglass’s individual malaise over his identity is echoed in the lives of millions of Black enslaved people and freed men and women.