The most interesting and moving part of the Town of Easton Council meeting last night was the public comments related to the newly installed art mural on Washington Avenue depicting the great American hero Frederick Douglass.
Rising in opposition to the recently installed mural were those who talked movingly about the harm done by having Douglass contextualized with 21st-century cultural references like basketball shoes and watches. One in favor of the work, a student at Washington College, made the case that it would help reach younger Americans with the Douglass story.
At times like this, the Spy recalls that Douglass willingly became the most photographed American in the 19th century. While it is impossible to channel what he would have made of this current debate in the land of his birth, it might be comforting to feel that Fred would be thrilled about a conversation on the importance and power of an image.
Citizen Comments Highlights
Council Member Remarks
Cheryl Hoopes says
I’ve been following this story and reading the reports in various news outlets. I’ve just listened to the meeting clips, as provided in this piece, and learned that the Town Council and Historical Commission lack authority for approving “content,” since that falls under the 1st Amendment. They did not approve the actual mural (“content”), but rather only the “frame.” The mural is on private property, so only the owners could remove it. These are the logistical facts, but this doesn’t have to be the end of this story.
One retired African American teacher who spoke acknowledged that the artwork was certainly good, but she voiced concerns about the artist’s portrayal of Frederick Douglass, which she felt was not accurately reflective of his major role as a statesman. (Others addressed this same objection.) Referencing the 1950s, when Jim Crow was certainly alive and well on the Eastern Shore, she also said, “The context is wrong.” She’s right. We can’t forget the past, which must always frame the present, in order to tell the entire story. This past is egregious, but when presented accurately and as fact, while hearing from those who lived it, and then listening to them, it can be redemptive in the present. She echoed another woman’s thoughts, as she quoted, “We should not let anyone else tell our story.”
It seems to me, (a 70 year old white woman), that some really nice white folks wanted to do a really good thing. And so they decided that this Frederick Douglass memorial would be a lovely addition to the community. That is an appropriate, and laudable, starting point. These stories cross racial lines and have application for all. But as one man pointed out, there are 500 of Fredrick Douglass’s family members who call Easton “home.” They should’ve had a seat at this particular table (Nov 17, Letter to the Editor). It would’ve been the most neighborly thing to do. But this basic point may not have occurred to anyone at all in the planning process, (which is a major part of this story), and it would seem that it’s too late now to fix this very large error. But it is never too late. The right choices can still be made, and lessons can be learned for the future.
Now that there’s more information and insight, I do hope some hard decisions can be made by the altruistic authors of this commemorative project. There could be a path forged to honor Frederick Douglass in a way that could not earlier have been imagined. Creating a new context, a new path would go a long way. The feelings and dignity of our African American neighbors would be worth it.