Georgia Gwinnett College will host a live performance titled “Frederick Douglass: The Lion of Freedom” at 3:30 p.m. on April 7, according to a Mar. 23 announcement. The event is free and open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis in Cisco Auditorium. Doors will open at 3 p.m., and free parking will be provided in the campus’s 3000 Lot.
The performance aims to bring history alive for students and community members by dramatizing the life and words of Frederick Douglass. Dr. Michael Gunther, associate professor of history and interim department chair, said, “In a year when we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I’m looking forward to seeing Douglass’ 1852 speech ‘What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?’ portrayed on stage.”
Actor and storyteller Darius Wallace will perform as Douglass as well as several other historical figures during the one-man show. Wallace said, “The beautiful thing about Frederick Douglass is that he was born into conditions he didn’t ask for, and he didn’t allow those conditions to keep him bound. He utilized the power of the written and spoken word to free himself, and then to follow his passion and his purpose. I want young people to see that no matter what conditions they are born into, they have the ability, through literacy and the power of words, to dream bigger and achieve those dreams.”
Wallace explained that his portrayal includes not only Douglass but also characters such as Douglass’s grandmother, John Brown, President Abraham Lincoln, Emerson, and Douglass as a child. “They’ll see me as Douglass’ grandmother, as him when he was a little boy,” he said. “They’ll also see me as John Brown, President Abraham Lincoln and Emerson.”
Gunther shared his personal connection with Frederick Douglass’s legacy: “At one point early in my career I worked for a rare manuscript dealer, and held authentic Frederick Douglass autographed and signed documents in my hands,” he said. “From enslaved child in Maryland to world-famous author, activist, orator and statesman, Douglass is the most inspirational figure I teach about. I can’t wait for students, colleagues and members of the community to experience this performance.”
After the show concludes there will be an audience question-and-answer session led by Wallace. He said he hopes attendees leave inspired: “I want them to walk away believing there is a spark of inspiration within themselves that can help them overcome whatever obstacles they face,” Wallace said. “That realization that we each have that spark and that’s where our freedom truly begins.”
