What can Frederick Douglass, Talbot County’s most famous native son, teach us as America continues struggling with racial divisions, the legacy of enslavement, and the quest for a just, free, and embracing society?

Join Jeff McGuiness and Lance Morris in a discussion of the eloquent words penned by Douglass himself, juxtaposed against the very landscape that bore witness to the genesis of his quest for a society that transcends differences and dismantles the constancy of hate.

Talbot County, where Douglass spent his formative years in bondage, becomes a living canvas as McGuiness and Morris guide you through the intricate tapestry of St. Michaels, Bay Hundred, the Wye River, and Tuckahoe Creek. Discover how these geographical threads intertwined with Douglass’s experiences to form the most powerful slave narrative in American literature, and shook the foundation of the nation’s moral, political, and economic landscape.

Dive into the dual perspectives of Douglass’s enslaved years and his triumphant return to Talbot County as an elder statesman, best-selling author, and unwavering advocate for a “new dispensation of justice, kindness, and human brotherhood.” McGuiness’s evocative photobook, “Bear Me into Freedom: The Talbot County of Frederick Douglass,” serves as a visual companion to the discussion, enriching the course with a tangible connection to the landscapes that shaped Douglass’s legacy.

With Douglass’s three autobiographies and the photobook by McGuiness as our guide, McGuiness and Morris unveil the hidden layers of Douglass’s early life, where the soil of Talbot County shaped his resilience and ignited his fervor for justice. Their exploration delves into the profound insights that Douglass’s life and experiences offer as we grapple with modern-day challenges.  

What to Expect:  Despite different backgrounds and a nearly fifty-year difference in age, the collaborative work of Morris and McGuiness is based on a mutual fascination with the legacy of Frederick Douglass and the profound impact it continues to have on our collective story. Their program is intended to foster a discussion of the potential, as Douglass framed it, of America “verging towards a point where differences disappear, where even the constancy of hate breaks down.”

IN PERSON course at the Easton Family YMCA (no recording) | 2 sessions | Wednesdays | May 22, 29 | 10 – 11:30 am | $30