Professor examines hope in politics
Speaker compares Douglass, Obama
Luke Anderson
Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: News
American political figures such as Frederick Douglass and Barack Obama were discussed during the presentation "Frederick Douglass: The Original Audacity of Hope" Wednesday night.
Political science professor Peter Myers, an expert in American political thought, discussed Douglass' spirit of hope in relation to the abolition of slavery and disenfranchisement, and how understanding Douglass' life can enable a deeper sense of the current political season.
Myers began his speech by saying that Obama has used similar aspects of spirit of hopefulness, with references in his speeches to such people as Thomas Paine and Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Obama's use of hopefulness is a new expression to an older idea," Myers said. "He appeals to the American hopefulness."
Myers gave a brief biography of Douglass, but most of his discussion focused on two different periods of Douglass' life and how he remained optimistic. The first period was Douglass' life during the pre-emancipation era, the second in the post-emancipation era.
The first period took place during the 1850s, which was a very bleak time for abolitionists, Myers said. The decade saw an updated version of the fugitive slave law, more area being opened for slavery (Kansas-Nebraska Act) and the Dred Scott decision, Myers said.
"Despite the bleakness of the decade, Douglass' response was remarkable and he stayed brighter than ever and believed slavery was still doomed," Myers said.
Myers gave four reasons for Douglass' optimism during the decade. First, Douglass advocated for the resistance of slavery. Second, the resistance allowed people to confirm humanity, arouse sympathy and outrage over slavery. Third, Douglass felt slave owners would respond with arrogance and insecurity to the resistance. Finally, through the resistance and attempt by the South to achieve more slave territory, it would arouse fear into northerners for their own rights and defend their own system against slavery, Myers said.
Political science professor Peter Myers, an expert in American political thought, discussed Douglass' spirit of hope in relation to the abolition of slavery and disenfranchisement, and how understanding Douglass' life can enable a deeper sense of the current political season.
Myers began his speech by saying that Obama has used similar aspects of spirit of hopefulness, with references in his speeches to such people as Thomas Paine and Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Obama's use of hopefulness is a new expression to an older idea," Myers said. "He appeals to the American hopefulness."
Myers gave a brief biography of Douglass, but most of his discussion focused on two different periods of Douglass' life and how he remained optimistic. The first period was Douglass' life during the pre-emancipation era, the second in the post-emancipation era.
The first period took place during the 1850s, which was a very bleak time for abolitionists, Myers said. The decade saw an updated version of the fugitive slave law, more area being opened for slavery (Kansas-Nebraska Act) and the Dred Scott decision, Myers said.
"Despite the bleakness of the decade, Douglass' response was remarkable and he stayed brighter than ever and believed slavery was still doomed," Myers said.
Myers gave four reasons for Douglass' optimism during the decade. First, Douglass advocated for the resistance of slavery. Second, the resistance allowed people to confirm humanity, arouse sympathy and outrage over slavery. Third, Douglass felt slave owners would respond with arrogance and insecurity to the resistance. Finally, through the resistance and attempt by the South to achieve more slave territory, it would arouse fear into northerners for their own rights and defend their own system against slavery, Myers said.
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