This immersive portrait brings Frederick Douglass to life

Step inside Isaac Julien’s immersive video installation on the life of abolitionist and freedom fighter Frederick Douglass. In this conversation with civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, Julien delves deep into his work “Lessons of the Hour." Expanding on the narrative of Douglass's life, this film includes reenactments of his most well known speeches such as "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July." The work blends footage of past and present as a testament to the ongoing struggle for social justice and equality in America. Julien’s work, alongside Ifill’s reflections, deepens our understanding of the unfinished business of democracy. “Douglass almost speaks to the importance of putting the images with the word to be fully remembered. That the words certainly for particularly marginalized people are not enough because there is always a story, an image that is attached to you." ArtSpeaks is made possible by UNIQLO. Subscribe for our latest videos, and invitations to live events: http://mo.ma/subscribe Explore our collection online: http://mo.ma/art Plan your visit in-person: http://mo.ma/visit Commit to art and ideas. Support MoMA by becoming a member today: https://moma.org/join The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speaker alone, and do not represent the views of The Museum of Modern Art, its personnel, or any artist. #fredrickdouglass #abolitionist #americanhistory #immersiveexperience #fourthofjuly #art #museumofmodernart #moma #museum #modernart #civilrights