Martin Delany, Frederick Douglass, and the Politics of Representative Identity

Frederick Douglass symbolizes the abolitionist movement of the 19th century as only a handful of other black Americans do. His autobiography is required reading, and he is acknowledged as a central figure in American history. At the same time, Martin Delany is often remembered only as Douglass's opposite, and his work is largely absent from the canon. With Martin Delany, Frederick Douglass, and the Politics of Representative Identity, Robert S. Levine, an associate professor of English at the University of Maryland, attempts to explore the complex relationship between these two men. He finds differences between the two, but significant correspondences as well--each believed in the importance of Africa, in the perniciousness of slavery, and in the need for abolition. A great value of the book is Levine's exploration of such often overlooked sources as articles in contemporary black newspapers, as well as letters and lectures.