Why the words of Douglass sing out loud in Cork
The legacy of Frederick Douglass from a musical perspective is being explored in Cork, says Stevie G in his Downtown column
Charmaine Ngwenya recording music at the Kabin studio in Cork City.
THE legacy of Frederick Douglass, the 19th century US social reformer and civil rights activist, is being explored from a musical perspective in Cork this week. The former slave, turned abolitionist, once journeyed through Cork and Ireland, at the time of the Great Famine, and it left a mark on his life and future teachings.
Most Cork and Irish people knew little of Douglass until recently, but this impressive celebration of his impact brings his ethos into the 21st century. The challenges Douglass faced are mirrored today, a couple of centuries on, so his teachings are still relevant.