BOSTON (WHDH) - Frederick Douglass took his permanent place in the Massachusetts Senate Chamber Wednesday as a bust of the historically-renowned orator, writer, abolitionist, politician, and freedom fighter was unveiled, the first new bust in the chamber in over 125 years – and the first of an African-American.
“Today, Frederick Douglass takes his long overdue place among our nation’s founding fathers in the Senate Chamber, where he will inspire generations of Massachusetts lawmakers to lead as he did, with truth, justice, liberty, and humanity,” Senate President Karen Spilka said. “Representation is powerful. Anyone should be able to walk into our Senate chamber and see themselves contributing to our dialogue as a Commonwealth, and with this historic unveiling we take an important step toward listening to, and lifting up, more voices in our Commonwealth.”
Spilka unveiled the sculpture during a public ceremony on Wedneday, Feb. 14, the date Douglass’ birth is recognized. The bust, an exact replica of a bust created by late sculptor Lloyd Lillie, was commissioned by the State House Art Commission at the direction of the state senate last year. Created by Sincere Metal Works in Amesbury, the artwork depicts Douglass “as an older man deep into his career as a politician and orator”, according to officials.
Other historic figures depicted in busts in the Senate chamber include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Sumner.
After escaping slavery, Douglass and his wife Anna settled in New Bedford in 1838, where he became active in Massachusetts’ abolition movement. The couple moved to Lynn in 1841, where he wrote his seminal autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”, an instant hit in its time and a frequently assigned text in schools. When he first heard news of the Emancipation Proclamation, he was at Tremont Temple in Boston, just down the street from where his bust now permanently resides.
“Massachusetts was an anchor in Douglass’ journey as an enslaved man and then a freed man, and his many dimensions as a human being bear witness to the necessity of resistance to injustice and are relevant today,” said L’Merchie Frazier, am artist, member of the State House Art Commission, and Executive Director of Creative and Strategic Partnerships at SPOKE Art. “As this bust takes its place, he inspires us to address our history, and represents the power of art to remind us of the inspiration he provided.”
In the Senate chamber, Douglass’ bust was placed under a quote of his own that adorns the south wall:
“Truth, justice, liberty, and humanity will ultimately prevail.”
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