Prez's Week Break/BHM Douglass Statue Run

The profiles of Frederick Douglass (pictured) and Susan B.
Anthony guide walkers and runners along the Heritage Trail.

Last Thursday, in advance of the current President’s Weeks Recess, I challenged my eleventh-grade students to take advantage of the fortunate occurrence of a week away from school during Black History Month to get out and visit some local sites and reminders of our metro community’s significant role in a number of civil rights movements. I shared a few excursions of my own from the past, including the City of Rochester Heritage Trail and a number of artistic murals commemorating individuals and events of historical importance.

Social distancing and masking are key to safely visiting the numerous sites.

As the student submissions have been slow to trickle in (there are still four days left of break, however), I sought to prime the enrichment pump this morning by heading out myself. In the past I have used the map of Frederick Douglass statues available on NoSoilBetter.com as a loose guide (as well as a superior informational resources) to running downtown Rochester, New York. In addition to getting a nice run in on the very well-maintained city streets and sidewalks, I managed to "collect" two new statues and revisit a few previously noted ones. Here they are presented in the order I came across them on my 5+ mile loop out-and-back from home on the east side. The Frederick Douglass statues can be found in a variety of easy-to-find locations significant to his life and work in neighborhoods across Rochester. Images that follow were all taken by me and captions consist of content is from NoSoilBetter.com.

Outside the College at Brockport SUNY Rochester Educational Opportunity Center, placed to commemorate Douglass’ commitment to education. Directly across from Martin Luther King Jr. Park, site of many Black Lives Matter protests last summer.

Washington Square Park bordered by Woodbury Blvd., Court Street, St. Mary’s Place and S. Clinton Ave. also the site of Civil War “Soldiers and Sailors” monument. In the background is my old church parish, St. Mary’s.

The Douglass monument located in Aqueduct Park, neighbors The Talman Building (25 East Main St ). The North Star and The Frederick Douglass Newspaper were published here. 

50 Plymouth Avenue North, formerly the Central Presbyterian Church, currently the site of the Hochstein School of Music and Dance. The site of Douglass’ funeral.

Corinthian Street (formerly Exchange Place), just east of State Street, adjacent to the hotel parking lot. The site of Douglass’ renowned Fourth of July speech. Directly across the street is the recently completed Rep. John Lewis mural.

300 Alexander Street, at the corner of East Avenue, near the site of Douglass’ first home in Rochester at 297 Alexander Street.

Though each is cast from the same mold, it is interesting to note that individuals have taken steps to slightly personalize some of the statues. There in lies even more stories, perhaps to be further explored at a later date. Despite the currently empty state of my school e-mail box, I am confident a few students will make the  effort to enrich both their grades and themselves by following through with some personal reflection... until then, I anxiously await the tell-tale ding indicating "You've got mail!"