Norton Celebrates 201st Birthday of Frederick Douglass as Bicentennial Commemoration Continues
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) urged District of Columbia residents to continue the bicentennial celebration of Frederick's Douglass birth by celebrating his 201st birthday today. Douglass was a longtime D.C. resident and an avid proponent of equal rights for D.C. residents. A 2013 Norton bill placed a statue of Douglass in the Capitol to represent the District, making D.C. the only jurisdiction that is not a state with a statue in the Capitol. A Norton bill signed into law in 2017 established a bicentennial commission to plan, develop and carry out programs and activities to honor and celebrate the life of Douglass. Norton was appointed by then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to serve on the commission. The commission's final report is due by June 1, 2019.
"Frederick Douglass holds a special place in our country and in the hearts of D.C. residents, who chose his statue to represent our district in the Capitol," Norton said. "This great American statesman, the country's foremost abolitionist, knew where he lived and lent his great renown to equality and freedom for our city and its residents. His historic home in Cedar Hill in Southeast D.C. is a National Historic Site and reminds residents and thousands of tourists of his many contributions and achievements. I look forward to continuing to work with my fellow commissioners this Congress on finding ways to honor Douglass' life."