Frederick Douglass and the White Negro -
Langston Hughes African American Film Festival

by Jordana

This is the story of the head-on collision between African America and Irish America in 19th century. It is the story of one man's journey through Ireland at a time of national crisis as he finds his way from slavery to the dizzying heights of fame, wealth and power in the American political system. It is also a story for today and all our tomorrows.

So begins the story of a seldom told part of American history: Slavery Abolitionist Frederick Douglass's escape from slavery to Ireland, just in time for the Great Famine.

John J. Doherty's documentary, Frederick Douglass and the White Negro, explores how Douglass’s time on the Emerald Isle at a time of extreme poverty likely helped reinforce his ideas of the equality of all people, women's suffrage, and his return to America to bring the fight for the abolition of slavery to a head.