LANSING, MI (WTVB)- The first resolution introduced by Branch County’s new 35th District State Representative has been passed by the state House.
House Resolution 23 from Representative Jennifer Wortz, which commemorates February 14 as Frederick Douglas Day in the State of Michigan, passed Wednesday.
Wortz says former State Representative Andrew Fink, who she replaced in January, introduced the resolution every term he was in office because Frederick Douglass visited Hillsdale twice in 1863 and 1888, so it seemed appropriate to continue recognizing him.
The resolution declares February 14 the commemorative date for Douglass because that was the day he chose to remember as his birthday. Though he did not remember his exact birthdate, Douglass chose to celebrate it on Valentine’s Day because his mother, Harriet Bailey, referred to him as her “Little Valentine.”
Wortz’s resolution details this story and other facts about Douglass’s life, including his escape from bondage, his persuasive oratory work advocating for the abolition of slavery, and his relationships with prominent American statesmen and citizens.
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