US Congress names press gallery for abolitionist Frederick Douglass

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) – Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday named its press gallery after Frederick Douglass, 150 years after the famed 19th-century orator ​and abolitionist became the first Black member of the ‌congressional press corps.

Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a new sign reading “Frederick Douglass Press Gallery” over the door to rooms where reporters work. Johnson was flanked by a handful of guests and some lawmakers who had pushed ‌to ​honor Douglass.

“Perhaps more successfully than any American ⁠of his time, Douglass ⁠built a life and legacy off the power of his pen, and his powerful voice, and he wielded that power to great effect in this institution,” Johnson said.

The ceremony took place on ​February 12, the birth date of President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation ending slavery in the United States, and ⁠two days before February 14, the ⁠date Douglass celebrated his birthday.

Douglass was born into slavery ​and his exact birth date is unknown.

Douglass escaped in 1838 and ​became known as an author, speaker and social reformer, including ‌speaking tours in England, Ireland and Scotland. He was a member of the U.S. House and Senate press galleries from 1871 to 1875.

Political leaders often honor Douglass during February, which is Black History ⁠Month in the U.S.

The event on Thursday was unusual for the second presidential term of Donald Trump, a Republican who has pushed U.S. cultural ⁠and historical institutions ‌to remove what he calls “anti-American” ideology.

The campaign has ⁠led to the dismantling of exhibits focusing on the ​legacy ‌of slavery and the restoration of statues of ​Confederate leaders ⁠who fought against the United States in the Civil War that ended slavery.

However, Trump has praised Douglass before. In 2017, during his first term, Trump called Douglass “an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more.”

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing ​by Cynthia Osterman)