A Frederick Douglass mural was unveiled in commemoration of Black History Month in Britain. It was done prior to October 2020. The graffiti artist @TrenchOne created the black-and-white painting. Why would an American stateman's artwork be displayed in the capital of Scotland, though?
This illustration can be found just a few steps from the Union Canal. The famed social reformer, 33 Gilmore Place, lived just a few doors away during the 1840s. A few years earlier, he had escaped enslavement in Maryland and was now on a legal crusade sponsored by the American-Anti-Slavery Society to campaign against the enslavement of people.
He would travel across the United Kingdom and Ireland over the next few decades to give lectures on the end of slavery. Douglass visited Edinburgh many times during this period. His talks were attended by thousands of people, and they were always well received. The mantra, Send back the blood-stained cash! was adopted after a particularly stirring speech at The Assembly Rooms, New Town.
This expression was used to refer to the Free Church of Scotland receiving contributions from American slave-owning plantations. This rallying cry was so popular, it was suggested that it should be carved on the rocks at Salisbury Craigs in Holyrood Park. Douglass continued his tour of the country through the 1840s. He later settled at Gilmore Place, where he maintained operations.
To commemorate his freedom and pay tribute to his time in Scotland, his surname was changed to Douglass from Bailey after his emancipation. Douglass was named after a character in Walter Scott's novel The Lady of the Lake.
This is what he had to say about the city
It will be obvious that I am in Edinburgh. It is Scotland's capital and is rightly considered one of Europe's most beautiful cities. It is a magnificent example of beauty, elegance, and grandeur that I have never seen. It is too difficult to describe. One of many architectural gems is the Monument to Sir Walter Scott on Princes Street. The city has advantages over every other city in the country, including those of Salisbury Craggs, Arthur Seat and Calton Hill. I find it enjoyable to enjoy all the things that are available here for those with a lighter hueno distinction. I was welcomed into the society of the Combes Crowes Chambers, the first inhabitants of this city, and no one was alarmed at my presence.
