Not the Postracial Society We Thought It Would Be

Michele and Igor speak with Kenneth B. Morris Jr., the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great-grandson of Booker T. Washington, about lessons that today's resisters can learn from these historical figures.

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Michele and Igor are joined by Kenneth B. Morris Jr.—the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass; the great-great-grandson of Booker T. Washington; and the co-founder and president of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives—to discuss the bicentennial of Douglass’ birth, as well as his legacy as a radical abolitionist and civil rights leader and what young activists can learn from him today. Morris also speaks to President Donald Trump’s ignition of racial tensions in the last year, shares what he believes American classrooms are getting wrong in their teaching of slavery, and why Trump’s reaction to Colin Kaepernick mirrors the backlash Frederick Douglass received for his protest 200 years ago.

Learn more about the podcast here.

Michele Jawando is a vice president at the Center for American Progress. Igor Volsky is a vice president at the Center. Sally Tucker is the radio coordinator for Communications at the Center. Rachel Rosen is the senior director of Broadcast Communications at the Center.

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