Our inspirational magnets are imprinted with words of wisdom by Madame C.J. Walker, Frederick Douglass, and W. E. B Du Bios.
Magnet messages include:
Either America will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States― W.E.B. Du Bois
The white man’s happiness cannot be purchased by the black man’s misery. ― Frederick Douglass
If there is no struggle, there is no progress― Frederick Douglass
Your first duty is to humanity― Madame C. J. Walker
From February 11, 2022, Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass' America shines a light on the late 1860s—at a moment of great hope for the promise of equality under the law. The famed orator and once-enslaved abolitionist Frederick Douglass took his “Our Composite Nation” speech on the road to argue for a plural American democracy. The mission of this new nation, he declared, was to provide the world “a composite, perfect illustration of the unity of the human family.” For what was the U.S., he said, but “the most conspicuous example of composite nationality in the world?” This special installation features artifacts, images, and a theatrical design that bring Douglass’ compelling speech to life and explores his vision of freedom, citizenship, and equal rights that remains urgently relevant today, as a hopeful plea for America to live up to its founding ideals.
