Douglass' tenacity reminds me of Martin Luther King, who lived in a world where African-Americans knew how to read and write but were still suffering under the weight of racism. King did not become violent and irrational in order to win people to his way of thinking. Even when he was arrested and put in jail for nonviolent protests, he spoke with a calm and unwavering voice. He knew in his heart what was right and he was smart enough to figure out a way to make his dreams come true without violence. King face adversity but he never gave up and he chose to seek his dream in an unconventional way, much like Douglass. He saw the obstacles and, rather than let them stop him, he found another way.
I think Douglass' persistence and perseverance are examples for anyone who wishes to do anything. Douglass' goal, learning to read...
Anyone that has a dream should look at Douglass' struggle and see hope. It does not matter if the goal is to lose 20 pounds or running for public office, Douglass' lesson is to never give up. I would seriously doubt that many people would face the opposition that Douglass did. He did not see this as a reason to quit; he simply worked around the opposition. This is inspiring for anyone desiring to accomplish anything. If we follow Douglass' example instead of giving up, we will find that we can do much more than we ever thought possible.
Work Cited
Douglass, Frederisck. "Learning to Read and Write. The Blair Reader. New Jersey: Pearson. 2004.
