In honor of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, the Lincoln Group of DC and the DC Civil War Round Table invited Frederick Douglass to Washington, DC to speak to the crowd. Douglass, in the form of the incomparable Nathan Richardson, wowed the joint meeting of the two groups at The Square in downtown, a wonderful event space with a food court upstairs and conference space downstairs.
Richardson, I mean Frederick Douglass, has been touring for over 14 years and has given over 500 performances. It’s easy to see why he is in such demand. Over the course of the evening, he spoke with erudition and emotion, bringing Douglass to life for all of us. He discussed his escape from slavery, his passionate calls for abolition of that vile institution, and his interactions with Lincoln. While critical of Lincoln’s moderation and pace leading to the eventual Emancipation Proclamation, Douglass came to respect and appreciate the position Lincoln was in. Douglass was the activist speaking from experience pushing for emancipation, abolition, and equality. Lincoln was a political insider working to achieve the same goals within a grossly racist and incalcitrant society. In the end, they became partners and respected allies.
Douglass, of course, went on for many years after Lincoln’s assassination. He was the keynote speaker at the 1876 dedication of the Emancipation Memorial statue in Lincoln Park. That statue, while controversial then and now (largely due to misunderstanding of what it represents), will commemorate its 150th anniversary this year on April 11. I plan to be at that rededication.
Nathan Richardson has a cameo appearance in my new book, Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours. I discuss Frederick Douglass both as an important abolitionist and for his time in New Bedford, his first long-time home after escaping from slavery (he later lived in Lynn, the UK, Rochester NY, and Washington, DC).
As the Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC (and a member of the DC Civil War Round Table), I’ll pass along on their behalf that we all thoroughly enjoyed Richardson’s Frederick Douglass performance and are happy that he could fit us into his incredibly busy schedule. There will be a post expounding on the performance on the Lincolnian website shortly.
While you’re at it, please sign up for my own Zoom presentation to the Lincoln Group on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. The program is virtual (you can watch from anywhere), free to LGDC members and special guests (and if you’re reading this, consider yourself my special guest). Check out my Media page for additional upcoming and past appearances. This post highlights some recent interviews.
Finally, as I write this (February 11), there are a few more days left to enter my Goodreads Giveaway where you can get a free print copy of Lincoln in New England (click on the link to enter).
[Photos by David J. Kent (and Jon Willen using my phone)]
Coming in March 2026: Lincoln in New England: In Search of His Forgotten Tours
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David J. Kent is Immediate Past President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.
His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.
