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Frederick Douglass Brought Back to Life

The booming baritone voice of Fred Morsell mesmerized the audience at Portland High School

For an hour and a half on Saturday, Frederick Douglass came alive in the Portland High School auditorium. Professional actor and educator Fred Morsell did such an incredible feat in the one-man play, “Presenting Mr. Frederick Douglass: His Life and Times” the audience had trouble telling where Morsell stopped and Douglass began.

The free program was sponsored by The Collins Foundation, The Friends of the Portland Library, the Portland Library Memorial Fund and supported by the office of the Portland First Selectwoman Susan Bransfield.

 The first thing that struck the audience is the uncanny physical resemblance Morsell has with Fredrick Douglass and the richness of Morsell’s baritone voice.

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In one of the scenes in the play, Morsell, as Douglass, tells the story of how Douglass’ grandmother raised him until he was six and then had to turn him over to his owner. Morsell’s portrayal brought tears to the eyes of some of the audience as they felt the intense anguish that the 6-year-old boy felt.

Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, became a prominent American social reformer, writer and orator. He also became a fierce leader of the abolitionist movement, as well as actively supporting women’s suffrage. Douglass’ autobiographies gave the public a true view of what it was like to be a slave.

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Believing in the equality of all people, Douglass was often quoted as saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”

Morsell’s acting career spans 40 years and includes starring roles in Macbeth and Othello. He also has extensive credits in television with parts in “L.A. Law,” “Hill Street Blues,” and “Scarecrow and Mrs. King.” In addition to acting in soap operas such as “General Hospital” and “Another World,” Morsell has sung in over 20 operas.

“In 1984 Frederick Douglass found me. There were reports of kids overdosing all over L.A. People were quite horrified. A minister friend asked me to help start the Frederick Douglass Foundation to develop alternative programming for inner city youth,” Morsell said.  “I realized that even though I grew up in an educated family and my father was very involved in the Civil Rights Movement, I did not know much about Douglass.”

Morsell’s self-education started with reading the “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” written by Douglass himself, which Morsell’s grandfather owned. Morsell found it profoundly moving and immediately recognized the teaching potential.

Morsell said, “When I travel to schools I try to put forth the importance of Frederick Douglass’ three principles of success: Believe in yourself, take advantage of every opportunity and exercise the power of language.

“Very interesting, very entertaining, good actor and very expressive,” were the comments from Claire, Nikki, Callie and Nicole, young girls who were sitting in the front of the auditorium enthralled by this dramatic presence.

“It was like listening to Frederick himself,” said Kwame Ocansey, who is involved with LEEAD International, an organization that builds schools in Africa. “I want to bring him back some other time to do the rest of Frederick Douglass’ story."

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