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Abolitionist Anna Murray Douglass and her daughter Annie will be memorialized at Mount Hope Cemetery

At left: Frederick Douglass and his daughter, Annie Douglass. At right: Anna Murray Douglass, the first wife of Frederick Douglass.
Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
/
FDFI
At left: Frederick Douglass and his daughter, Annie Douglass. At right: Anna Murray Douglass, the first wife of Frederick Douglass.

There’s an effort underway to provide a more prominent way of memorializing members of the family of Frederick Douglass in Rochester.

The effort has been announced by The Frederick Douglas Family Initiatives and the Rochester Area Community Foundation. They want to memorialize longtime Rochester resident and freedom fighter Anna Murray Douglass and her daughter Annie Douglass with individual grave memorials at Mount Hope Cemetery.

Erica Mock, executive director of The Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, said the mother and daughter were buried at Mount Hope in the 19th century, but never had individual memorials to mark their burial place. Instead, they’ve shared a monument with famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who lived in Rochester for about 25 years.

Mock said Anna Murray Douglass was Frederick Douglass’ first wife — they were married for more than 44 years — and she was a freedom fighter in her own right. And their daughter, Annie, who died at the age of 10, was also a devoted student of the abolitionist movement.

“Wanting to make sure that Anna and Annie get the most respect that they’ve unfortunately not gotten at Mount Hope, they’ve been a little overshadowed by Frederick’s grave,” Mock said. “And while we know how fantastic Frederick Douglass is and was, the light of his life was his family.”

She noted that one of Rochester’s schools, School 12, is named after Anna Murray Douglass.

“We’ve actually developed curriculum that the Rochester City School District has allowed us to develop at theAnna Murray Douglass Academy, where K through 8 is being taught about Douglass and the family, with the instruction and the guidance of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives and the descendants,” Mock said.

The effort to enhance the Mount Hope Cemetery gravesites for Frederick Douglass’ wife and daughter is being aided by a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation.

The announcement was made on Feb. 22, marking 127 years since Anna Murray Douglass was reinterred at Mount Hope Cemetery after her body was moved from its original burial site in Washington, D.C.

The memorials are intended to also provide a tribute to The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery for their stewardship of the gravesite for more than 30 years and to Rochester educator and activist David Anderson for his efforts in retelling the Douglass story.

Nettie Washington Douglass said that, "This honor for my great-great-grandmother and Annie is long overdue." Douglass, who is co-founder and co-chair of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, said that they are "absolutely thrilled that the Rochester community and visitors from around the world will be able to recognize and pay appropriate respect to two of the most important women in Frederick Douglass' life."

Organizers of the project hope to announce details soon for a public celebration and dedication of the memorials.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.