除了發行北極星外，道格拉斯四處演講、鼓吹自由議題；雖然他身為成功的廢奴主義運動領袖並為自己取了一個名字，他仍然得遵守黑白有別的隔離法律。在一次搭火車前往一座南方城市發表演講的旅程中，他被迫坐在一段專為「有色」人種保留、位在末節貨廂的區域；當邀請他的人在末節貨廂看見他時，他們對他遭受羞辱及被迫坐在黑人專用區的事深感愧悔，而他的回應如下：「先生們，如果我做了什麼可恥的事，我可能是自取其辱，但沒有任何事或任何人能夠貶低弗雷德裏克道格拉斯」。


In addition to publishing The North Star, Douglass lectured on the subject of freedom. Even though he had made a name for himself and was a successful leader in the abolitionist movement, he was still subject to laws keeping blacks separate from whites. On one occasion, he took the train to speak in a Southern city. During the journey, he was forced to sit in the section reserved for "colored" people at the end of the freight car. When his hosts met him at the other end, they were very apologetic that he had been humiliated and made to sit in the back of the car. His response was: "Gentlemen, by ignoble actions I may degrade myself, but nothing and no man can degrade Frederick Douglass."

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