About Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”
Since its inception in 2007, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives has been advocating for a more equitable world on the issues of human trafficking and racism. Co-founded by direct descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, FDFI is headquartered in Rochester, NY — a place Frederick Douglass once called home.
History
We learned in school about great leaders like Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington; how they helped shape the world around them. Legacies like these and the issues they faced, however, can seem far removed from our own lives when presented in the context of history lessons.
They’re not far removed.
Modern-day slavery and Racism remain two of America’s most persistent problems. This is a critical time for the next change makers to emerge who will, perhaps, be inspired but, unquestionably, informed by leaders and events of the past.
Why Rochester, NY?
Frederick Douglass called Rochester home longer than anywhere else. During the 25 years he lived here, he published his weekly newspapers, The North Star and Frederick Douglass Paper. In Rochester, Douglass was a vital part of the Underground Railroad, he gave one of the greatest speeches in American history – What to the slave is the Fourth of July? – and he supported the work of the women’s rights movement.
From 1847 to 1872, he called this city his home and chose it as his final resting place as well, in Mount Hope Cemetery. The spirit of Frederick Douglass lives on, but there is still much work to be done; in Rochester, NY, and around the world.
With its return to Rochester, the Douglass family comes full circle signifying the continuation of the Abolitionist and AntiRacist movements that Frederick Douglass championed here.
Our Remarkable Family Lineage
Our founders, Ms. Douglass and Mr. Morris are direct descendants of Frederick Douglass, The Great Abolitionist, and Booker T. Washington, the famed educator and founder of Tuskegee Institute.
Through the union of Ms. Douglass’s mother, Nettie Hancock Washington (granddaughter of Booker T. Washington), and her father, Dr. Frederick Douglass III (great-grandson of Frederick Douglass), our founders unite the bloodlines of two of the most influential names in American history.
Anna Murray and Frederick Douglass
Charles Remond Douglass
Joseph H. Douglass’s Family: Fannie Howard Douglass, Blanche, and Frederick III
Frederick Douglass III, Nettie II, and Booker T. Washington III
Nettie II and III (Honey) with Josephine Baker
Meet Our Team
Frederick Douglass
Abolitionist & Director Emeritus
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland sometime in 1818. He was birthed by an enslaved woman and was the property of a white man. It was presumed his enslaver was his father, although he never knew for sure. He changed his name to Douglass after escaping his bondage at twenty to elude re-enslavement.
Booker T. Washington
Educator & Director Emeritus
Nettie Washington Douglass
Founder & Chairwoman Emerita
Ms. Douglass is the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. Her lineage is incredible and the story of how she has represented these legacies since she was a child is equally fascinating. FDFI is the next step in her journey.
Kenneth B. Morris, Jr.
Founder & President
Robert J. Benz
Co-Founder
From 2007 until his departure from FDFI in 2021, Robert J. Benz served as Executive Vice President. Mr. Benz led the development of FDFI’s core philosophy of a preventive approach to human trafficking manifested today as the nation’s premier prevention education program, PROTECT.
FDFI Staff & Senior Advisors
Celeste-Marie Bernier
Douglass Family Scholar, Historian, and Consultant
Celeste-Marie Bernier is a Professor of United States and Atlantic Studies and Personal Chair in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is the author of over 20 monographs, essay collections, special issues, and scholarly editions and over 35 essays and book chapters and curator of over 6 US and UK traveling exhibitions.
Kevin Douglass Greene
Great-great-grandson, Frederick Douglass
Rebekka Boysen-Taylor
Senior Curriculum Advisor
Rebekka Boysen-Taylor is a middle school teacher, curriculum author, and educational researcher in rural northern Idaho. Each winter, her Palouse Prairie 7th-grade students study the roots of racism, historic and modern-day slavery, and abolition.
Kristin M. Leary
Senior Advisor & Co-Founder of the Frederick Douglass Ireland Project
Kristin M. Leary provides strategic and political government relations consulting to both nonprofit and for-profit clients as Founder and Principal at Leary Ventures in Washington, D.C. She has over 20 years of experience building coalitions and partnerships among diverse groups and interests around policy issues.
Hon. Teta V. Banks, Ed.D.
National Chair
Jeremy Scott Alexander
Director of Government Affairs
Board of Directors
Nettie Washington Douglass
Chairwoman Emerita
Ms. Douglass is the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. Her lineage is incredible and the story of how she has represented these legacies since she was a child is equally fascinating. FDFI is the next step in her journey.
Michael Szymanski
Chairman of the Board
Mr. Szymanski is a government affairs consultant in Washington, D.C. and Partner with The National Group, LLP. At The National Group, he counsels public and private sector clients on a broad range of federal legislative and regulatory issues. He is a former member of the Obama Administration and, in 2009, was appointed to the U.S. Department of State.
Negelle Morris
Corporate Executive
Negelle Morris is a business leader with over 25 years of experience working within multiple clinical and corporate environments where her focus has been in direct patient care, healthcare leadership, sales strategy development, and patient access. She currently leads a team of 600 employees as Commercial Vice President at Novo Nordisk Inc., a global pharmaceutical company specializing in the treatment of Diabetes, Obesity and other rare diseases.
David W. Blight
Yale Professor of American History, Author, Director of the Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition
Gabrielle Koeppel
Attorney
Gabrielle (Gabi) Koeppel is of counsel to Kelliher & Salzer, LLC. Gabi is a development and legal consultant for senior members of real estate development companies and individual investors on all aspects of zoning, site plan approval and other public entitlements, transportation issues and environmental matters, leasing, construction, design, and finance, including negotiations with anchor tenants and department stores, financial partners, lenders, sellers and purchasers.
Carvin Eison
Filmmaker & Owner, ImageWordSound
Charles Randolph-Wright
Writer/Director/Producer: Television, Film and Theater
CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT has built a dynamic and diversified career in directing, writing, and producing for theatre, television, and film. He currently is Executive Producer/Director on the initial season of the television series DELILAH on OWN. Upcoming theatre directing projects are the world premiere of AMERICAN PROPHET: FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN HIS OWN WORDS (which he co-wrote with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon) at Arena Stage in D.C.
Elihu "Eli" Miles
Board Treasurer
Mr. Miles has over 20 years of experience across management, strategic consulting and operations. He specializes in strategic problem solving, growth strategy, organizational strategy, market strategy and change management. As a Practice Manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS), he accelerates customers’ journeys and use of the AWS cloud by removing technical, organizational, and business blockers.
Maria Weaver
Great-great-grandaughter, Frederick Douglass
Maria Weaver is the President of WEA, the global artists and label services division at Warner Music Group, home to artists such as Bruno Mars, Lizzo, Cold Play and Cardi B.
Todd Allen
Entrepreneur
Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
130 E. Main Street
Rochester, NY 14604
Legal Counsel
Jon P. Getz, Esq.
45 Exchange Blvd, Suite 500
Rochester, New York 14614
585-820-9291 | email: Jongetz@Jgetzlaw.com
Frederick Douglass Family Foundation (Initiatives), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity – EIN #26-0757405
Click here to view FDFI’s IRS Determination Letter