History Happy Hour: Frederick Douglass

The remarkable journey of Frederick Douglass from fugitive slave to famed orator and author is well documented, yet little has been written about Douglass’s final years in Washington, D.C. After years of success as an advocate for the rights of African Americans and women, he moved to the district, and became a prominent city official. Hear the story of Douglass’s professional and personal life, from his involvement in politics and newspaper media, to his then-controversial marriage to a white woman, as told by author and historian, and Sherwood High School graduate, John Muller.

John Muller, journalist, historian, playwright, tour guide, and policy analyst in Washington, D.C., has developed a specialized knowledge of the history of the Anacostia community, the city’s first sub-division. His book, Frederick Douglass in Washington D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia (2012), was selected as the DC Public Library’s 2013 DC Reads. His articles on the area’s history and neighborhood politics have appeared in Huffington Post, Washington Post and Washington Times, among other publications. Muller and has given programs at the Library of Congress, the Newseum, and other local and national venues.