HBO's Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches finally gives the Black abolitionist his due

Salon.com

"From teaching himself how to read to enacting what scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. described as 'one of the most unusual escape stories in all of the literature about slavery,' Frederick Douglass's life is worthy of its own feature," says Melanie McFarland. "He designed it to be seen as such, molding his celebrity in part by becoming the most photographed Black man of his time. Nevertheless, he usually shows up a co-star in documentaries about other 19th century leaders, as is the case in two recent Lincoln documentary series or the fictional series  The Good Lord Bird. Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches is a step toward remedying this, making Douglass the hero by way of his writings and impact on American history and bringing them life through the voices and observations of six prominent actors, including Jonathan Majors and Jeffrey Wright."