Black History of Health: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was one of the great American anti-slavery leaders of the 1800s. Born a slave in Maryland, he quickly learned that God had a much bigger plan for him. After escaping slavery he became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker. Douglass published his memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845. Eloquent, smart, and determined, Douglass gained fame as a speaker and became a ‘conductor’ on the Underground Railroad. In later years he became a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and helped persuade Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He also was a strong supporter of women’s rights. He is often described as the founder of the American civil rights movement. Douglass also became a leader in the abolitionist movement, which sought to end the practice of slavery, before and during the Civil War. After living a full life, in 1895, Douglass returned home and died of a massive heart attack. While many are aware of the legacy Douglas left behind, many people don’t know that, like many Black Americans today, Frederick Douglass also lived with Diabetes. A condition that is not often mentioned in his life story, but was still very much...