Eagles outspread wings
broad enough shelter all who
are likely to come
In 1867, around the time Congress was debating and formulating the 14th Amendment, Frederick Douglass delivered a speech in Boston where he outlined his vision of a “composite nationality,” an America that stood as a beacon for all peoples, built on the foundation of an egalitarian republic.
“I want a home here not only for the Negro, the mulatto and the Latin races; but I want the Asiatic to find a home here in the United States, and feel at home here, both for his sake and for ours,”
Douglass said. “The outspread wings of the American Eagle are broad enough to shelter all who are likely to come.”
From What Frederick Douglass Knew That Trump and DeSantis Don’t by Jamelle Bouie.
Mr. Bouie became a New York Times Opinion columnist in 2019. Before that he was the chief political correspondent for Slate magazine. He is based in Charlottesville, Va., and Washington.
No Haiku For You 