Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., named to the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission

Next year is Douglass's Bicentennial! Many forces have been at work to have the federal government recognize this landmark year for one of the most famous and important black men in the history of our nation, and prospects seemed bleak given that the current occupant of the White House seemed unaware that Douglass died back in 1895 and that he has been getting quite a bit of recognition for 199 years. Fortunately, the forces of good prevailed and Congress created a Douglass Bicentennial Commission, naming Douglass descendant Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., as one of its leaders. Eleanor H. Norton, who represents the voice of the unrepresented residents of Washington, D.C., sponsored the bill and will serve alongside Morris.

Morris's grandfather was Frederick Douglass, III, who was the son of Joseph Douglass, the violinist, who was son of Charles Douglass, a Civil War veteran of the Massachusetts 54th Infantry and 5th Cavalr, who was son of Himself, Frederick Douglass. His grandmother, by the way, was granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. (You can find a family tree here: http://www.fdfi.org/aboutus.html --or, you know, in the appendix of Women in the World of Frederick Douglass.) Morris himself carries on the work of Douglass through the Frederick Douglass Family Initiative, raising awareness about modern day human trafficking.

Eleanor H. Norton and Kenneth B. Morris, Jr.,

will lead the Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Commission.

Image Source: https://twitter.com/EleanorNorton/status/906241888684036096