Becoming Frederick Douglass

Young Frederick Douglass is sent to work in the overseer’s house where he learns to read, opening his eyes to the possibility of a life beyond slavery.

Douglass breaks away from his abolitionist mentor, William Lloyd Garrison, and starts the newspaper The North Star, an independent Black voice for abolition. "Becoming Frederick Douglass" is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

The young, rebellious Douglass is sent to the brutal “slave breaker,” Edward Covey. Refusing to be broken, Douglass emerges even more determined to escape into freedom. Becoming Frederick Douglass is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

In Massachusetts, Douglass meets abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and uses his brilliant oratorical skills to speak out against slavery — becoming the most famous Black man of his time. Becoming Frederick Douglass is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

The passage of the Fugitive Slave Law empowers the government — and everyday “slave catchers” — to recapture any previously enslaved people and return them to their former enslavers. Becoming Frederick Douglass is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

Douglass meets Anna Murray, and together they plot his daring escape to the North with Douglass disguised as a seaman. Once in New York, they reunite and marry. "Becoming Frederick Douglass" is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

One of the most photographed men of the 19th century, Douglass brilliantly uses the power of his image to challenge stereotypes of African Americans—a crucial step toward the abolition of slavery. "Becoming Frederick Douglass" is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most influential voices for democracy in American history. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson explores the role Douglass played in securing the right to freedom for African Americans.

Co-Director Nicole London, Co-Director Stanley Nelson and more discuss the life of Frederick Douglass.