Journalism falters when it fails to acknowledge history

This summer, I spent a week with my family in Washington, D.C., one of our favorite cities. We find the wealth of museums, historic landmarks and monuments particularly appealing. For this trip, we opted for a guided tour of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site — a visit that reminded me, once again, how important a working knowledge of history is to the practice of journalism.

I’d guess that our tour guide could answer any question thrown at him about Douglass’ life, family and legacy as a speaker, intellectual, civil rights leader and proponent of free speech. On our tour, we learned that Douglass, a towering figure over six feet tall, worked out religiously because he understood that his views were unpopular and that political violence might materialize on his doorstep. He needed to be ready.

The guide also mentioned that while Douglass was instrumental in the abolition of slavery, he quickly fell out of favor with the American public and politics after the Civil War. This piqued my interest, and after the tour I asked why.