The Declaration and Frederick Douglass: A Clip From FOURTEEN

FOURTEEN was a moving theatrical performance that shed light on the Reconstruction era and the ratification of the 14th Amendment. Through dramatic interpretation of original texts, the performance brought to life the leaders, influential figures, and everyday Americans who were central to the Reconstruction era. In this clip, the performance opens with the words of the Declaration of Independence, after which a performer reads an open letter from Douglass to his former slaveholder.