Learning from Frederick Douglass

Hugh Taft-Morales

Leader, Philadelphia Ethical Society

There are few historical figures that better epitomize resiliency, integrity, and strength of personality than Frederick Douglass. Few can match how he maintained his sense of self-worth against all odds and rose to the pinnacle of prestige. If it is true that, as Douglass said, “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future,” how can we make his life useful to us today? Hugh Taft-Morales honors Black History Month by exploring how Frederick Douglass can teach humanists principles and habits to enrich our lives today and contribute to a better world.