Frederick Douglass, author, orator, and national leader for the abolitionist movement, lived in Rochester from 1847 to 1872, where he began publishing, North Star. During this period, he served as an advisor to President Lincoln, fought for the adoption of constitutional amendments granting voting rights and other civil liberties to African Americans, and advocated for women’s suffrage at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

A former slave, Douglass is considered the most influential African American of the 19th century.  He is known across the globe for his fight to end slavery and his advocacy for the unrealized foundational principles of our country.

Douglass’s message might be more relevant today than ever since the struggles he fought for remain ongoing.  His words and actions continue to inspire us to rise to a higher vision of ourselves and our nation.

I support renaming Rochester’s gateway Frederick Douglass International Airport, an act which I believe will honor one of our country’s greatest citizens and deliver a message of hope to the world.

“In a composite nation like ours, as before the law, there should be no rich, no poor, no high, no low, no white, no black, but common country, common citizenship, equal rights and a common destiny.”
― Frederick Douglass