ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a statue and plaque Wednesday honoring Frederick Douglass in the Plaza de la Constitución in St. Augustine.
DeSantis said the markers commemorate a memorably rousing speech that the respected orator gave on St. George Street that led to the crowd spontaneously breaking out in song with the National Anthem.
“I’ve given a lot of speeches. It’s hard to get people to get up and start singing when you’re done, so that takes some skill,” DeSantis said, smiling. “I think that having Frederick Douglass here is a memorial to a very historic time in our nation’s history. His speech here, as well as in Jacksonville, very impactful on the community at the time, and obviously, he was fighting for liberty; he was fighting for the principles that we’re celebrating on July 4th, 250 years later.”
The Frederick Douglass statue is part of Florida’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday this year, which has included statues of the nation’s founding fathers being placed around the state.
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“One of the things we’ve said is, it’s not just about people that signed the Declaration of Independence or people that helped create the Constitution the following decade,” DeSantis said. “We want to honor Americans throughout history who’ve exemplified that Spirit of 1776 and those timeless ideals that are so meaningful, even here today.”
DeSantis said Douglass was a shining example of that spirit.
“I think when he was fighting for that sacred fire to carry on the torch of the sacred fire of liberty, I do think he was doing God’s work,” DeSantis said. “So I’m excited to be able to have been a part of putting Frederick Douglass here, particularly for young people. They’re going to be able to come and see and learn about Frederick Douglass. And I think they’ll learn a lot about freedom, inequality, and that’s really, really significant.”
State Sen. Tracie Davis, D-Jacksonville, was at the unveiling and applauded DeSantis for signing the $1 million in funding approved by the Florida Legislature to bring the Florida Museum of Black History to St. Augustine.