This month, the Nation designated a s a time to celebrate the 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Last weekend, I spent time re-reading a few of Lincoln’s speeches — what a treat and what an inspiration! Even the current President gives shout outs to Abraham Lincoln. Obama has brought President Lincoln alive as a personal role model and as someone we should try to incorporate into our world as an example for the wisdom of living our own lives. Many people want to “touch the good Mr. Lincoln because, on many level, he provided samples to the great remix and noisy conversations about the meaning of America.
As I read Lincoln, I am often directed to Frederick Douglass — another serious contributor to the American remix. He appears as an advisor to President Lincoln and as someone Lincoln called a friend. As you know, Douglass was a former slave who fought for the end to slavery and for the equal rights of former slaves and women. I’m a firm believer that a Barack Obama Presidency could not have existed without the work of Lincoln and Douglass. I’m pleases that we still acknowledge their legacies.
What impresses me is that both of these men were largely self-educated. They came from nothing and did great work throughout their short lives — they inspire us today. These were also individuals who did great work with words. Take a moment to read Lincoln and Douglass. You’ll want to give them a shout out, too.
