An evocative exhibition detailing the links between Ireland and the 19th Century's most famed abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, has gone on show at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Buffalo Congressman Tim Kennedy, who played a key role in facilitating the exhibition, said the unique collection of priceless artifacts evidenced the escaped slave's warm affinity for Ireland - where he spent many months in 1845 — and his support for Irish freedom.
"It was an honor to celebrate the enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass and his ties to Ireland alongside my colleagues and guests at the Library of Congress last week," Kennedy told the Echo. SHARED HERITAGE: Jomo Akono, Dr. Joanne Braxton and Congressman Kennedy at the opening of the Frederick Douglass exhibition 
During his historic visit to Ireland, Douglass found allies in the fight for abolition and later reflected: "I seem to have undergone a transformation. I live a new life.
"That transformation speaks to the enduring bond between Ireland and the United States and our shared struggle for freedom and equality."
Among special guests at the opening of "Frederick Douglass: Between American and Ireland - Legacy of Freedom" on Feb 3 were Friends of Ireland Co-Chair Congressman Richie Neal, Congressman Jonathan Jackson from Chicago (son of civil rights icon the Rev. Jesse Jackson), and exhibition co-hosts Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke from Brooklyn and Congressman Joe Morelle of Rochester, New York.
Also attending were Jamal Joseph, author of best-selling memoir "Baby Panther" who has just written a script for a proposed new movie on Frederick Douglass' journeys in Ireland, and Dennis Brownlee, Chair of the African American Irish Diaspora Network. PAST IS PROLOGUE: Artefacts from the exhibition
