“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
Frederick Douglass
The Frederick Douglass Family Foundation is an Abolitionist organization. It exists to serve two purposes: to preserve and honor the legacy of Frederick Douglass and to create awareness about modern-day slavery in an effort to expedite its demise.
We know that slavery exists today in various forms throughout the world. It’s estimated that 27 million people live in a state of servitude. Right now there are women being forced into prostitution, children working in factories for little or no wage and men being sold or traded like cattle. We started the Frederick Douglass Family Foundation to help those people to live free.
As direct descendants of Frederick Douglass, we believe we have an obligation to repeat his demand for the right of all men to be free from bondage. The state-sponsored slavery Frederick Douglass sought to abolish differs only slightly from today’s black market slavery in that one was done in the light of day and the other in shadows. Because it preys upon the weakest and most marginalized members of society, today’s brand of servitude is all the more shameful.
In the fight against modern-day slavery, there is no group of people more qualified to speak out in protest than the descendants of former slaves, abolitionists and freedom fighters. The challenge for this group is to educate a wider audience about the injustices being perpetrated against a growing number of women, children and men both internationally and here at home in some of our most affluent neighborhoods. After recovering from the initial shock of learning that the practice of slavery still exists, most people are motivated to help.
In an attempt to distribute the message of the existence of modern-day slavery, our organization will leverage the legacy of Frederick Douglass to gain access to media vehicles such as; network news, magazines, documentaries, film, television and celebrities. We will also address and enlist students, religious organizations and corporations in the fight to eradicate slavery. The assistance we receive in the form of funding will go to the various groups who understand the problem best and are helping victims of modern-day slavery on the ground.
We will honor the memory of Frederick Douglass by engaging in the struggle to finally make slavery a part of history.
