Spoken word artist portrays Frederick Douglass
A crowd of about 100 people was taken back in time Sunday to view the world through Frederick Douglass, an African American who broke the bonds of slavery in the 1800s to became a leader in the abolitionist movement.
Guests at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts on Sunday afternoon took the trip back in time thanks to the work of Nathan Richardson, a poet and spoken-word artist who has portrayed Douglass for six years.
Richardson’s poetry collections include “Likeness of Being” and “Voices from the Wombs of Wisdom,” and his works have been published in magazines and newspapers, including The Washington Post.
Richardson’s performance during Black History Month was organized by the African American Historical Association of Western Maryland with support from the Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In an interview before his performance, Richardson said it’s humbling portraying the life of Douglass, who was born in a slave cabin in 1818 near Easton, Md. He rose to publish his own newspaper, also fought for women’s rights and became a trusted adviser to President Abraham Lincoln.
Richardson said it’s also fascinating to observe audiences as he “transports” them into the life of Douglass.
The experience is nowhere close to simply lecturing about the civil-rights leader, Richardson said.
“The audience usually makes the performance,” said Richardson, especially during a question-and-answer period he holds at the end.
Part of the excitement is not knowing what kind of question will be asked.
Richardson recalled a surprising moment when a middle school student asked him to comment on President Andrew Johnson, who assumed the presidency after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and ran into conflict with Congress over his work on reconstruction.
It was obvious the kid had paid attention in history class, Richardson said.
Richardson said not knowing what kind of question is coming also means being on the lookout for a loaded one.
In that case, Richardson said he sometimes asks the questioner to first comment on the subject matter, which makes for some interesting moments.
In today’s political environment that can be charged at times, Richardson said he generally hasn’t run into anything uncomfortable.
“In an open forum, the questions are respectful,” said Richardson, who added that “internet trolls” are usually unlikely to make their comments in public.
In Richardson’s portrayal of Douglass on Sunday, he was introduced as “a great American” and recited a speech Douglass gave in Baltimore. At one point, museum Director Rebecca Massie Lane handed Richardson a microphone to help him project his voice.
He looked at it quizzically, calling it “an odd stick.”