QUEEN ANNE, Md.- A new outdoor exhibit honoring Frederick Douglass was unveiled Tuesday at The Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe. The ceremony came after Gov. Larry Hogan's announcement naming September International Underground Railroad Month.
The three panel display tells of the abolitionist's life and legacy, as well as his origins in Maryland. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford explained the importance of the exhibit to the local area.
"It commemorates Frederick Douglass, a native son of Talbot County, an abolitionist, a great orator, a diplomat. It helps to let people know, when they come to this area, when they come to this park, some of the history associated with him," Rutherford said.
The Frederick Douglass Park was founded two years ago, celebrating Douglass's 200th birthday in February of 2018. Now in 2020, this new exhibit tells how Douglass "forged freedom from places of bondage."
Professor Dale Green of Morgan State University explained this message through an African proverb. He said, "When you pray, pray with your feet. It was in 1838 that Frederick Douglass said that he prayed with his legs, when he escaped from a life in bondage here in Maryland."
Tuesday's unveiling featured a number of speakers from the State of Maryland and Talbot County. Together, they sought to spread one message: to fight against division, and use the past to create a better, more unified future.
"It is today with that same spirit that we need a community of hands to come together, work together, for the common good, to change the world," Green said.
The exhibits are part of ongoing developments of The Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe, and are now open for all to see. They were produced by Design Minds, Inc., the Department of Commerce Office of Tourism, and Talbot County to preserve a key part of Maryland's history.
