October is Black History month in the United Kingdom and Ireland. So when I was reading a story about Frederick Douglass' time in Ireland. I thought, "This is a perfect time to write about it."
One of the most pleasing features of my visit, thus far, has been a total absence of all manifestations of prejudice against me, on account of my colour. The change of circumstances in this is particularly striking... I find myself not treated as a color, but as a man – not as a thing. (Douglass)
In 1845, Frederick Douglass published his memoir, The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Publishing this book put him at a high risk of being recaptured so he was persuaded to travel to Ireland and later Britain where he spent several months traveling and speaking around Ireland. While in Ireland Douglass wrote, "One of the most pleasing features of my visit, thus far, has been a total absence of all manifestations of prejudice against me, on account of my colour. The change of circumstances in this is particularly striking... I find myself not treated as a color, but as a man – not as a thing" (Irelandxo.com). You can almost feel his happiness in his words that he was being treated as a man. It is still mind numbing that anyone could believe another human was less than human because of skin color. But even in those times there were people who believed skin color did not matter.
I am the friend of liberty in every clime, class and color. My sympathy with distress is not confined within the narrow bounds of my own green island. No—it extends itself to every corner of the earth. My heart walks abroad, and wherever the miserable are to be succored, or the slave to be set free, there my spirit is at home, and I delight to dwell. (O'Connell)
During Douglass' time in Ireland he gave over 50 lectures around the country on the topic of slavery and this is where he also met the famous Irishman Daniel O'Connell. Douglass was so impressed with O'Connell's speaking about the abolition of slavery that he met him, and they became friends and went to many rallies together. In one rally Douglass remembered the words O'Connell said, "I am the friend of liberty in every clime, class and color. My sympathy with distress is not confined within the narrow bounds of my own green island. No—it extends itself to every corner of the earth. My heart walks abroad, and wherever the miserable are to be succored, or the slave to be set free, there my spirit is at home, and I delight to dwell" (Niall O'Dowd IrishCentral.com).
Over and over the halls that Douglas spoke in were packed to hear him speak. Newspapers wrote about his speaking tour and as his foreign publicity made its way back to the United States his stature increased as an international celebrity. "My words, feeble as they are when spoken at home, will wax stronger in proportion to the distance I go from home, as a lever gains power by its distance from the fulcrum,” Douglass told an audience in Cork (Irish Times).
Frederick Douglass wrote as he was readying to come home, "I can truly say, I have spent some of the happiest moments of my life since landing in this country, I seem to have undergone a transformation. I live a new life.” (Irish Times). I highly suggest reading more about his journeys overseas and his speeches.
Sources
https://irelandxo.com/ireland-xo/news/chronicles-insight-frederick-douglass-ireland
https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/frederick-douglass-daniel-oconnell
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/frederick-douglass-s-irish-odyssey-1.2084550%3fmode=amp
