Relationship Between Abraham Lincoln, Fredrick Douglass

Co-written by director Runako Jahi and Useni Perkins, the performance will be held on Sunday, June 21 from 2:00-3:00 p.m., and showcases the mutual respect Lincoln and Douglass had for one another, despite differing views on abolition and the preservation of the Union.

During their meetings, Lincoln and Douglass exchanged opinions on the most compelling issues of their time and the factors that proved to be catalysts for the Civil War. Both Lincoln and Douglass were self-made and ambitious, rising to success from humble backgrounds.

Even as a young man, Lincoln was a consummate politician devoted to compromise, consensus-building, and moderation. Douglass was a reformer who spoke and wrote eloquently with passion for the abolition of slavery and for equal rights for African Americans.

Emancipation or Preservation? is being presented in collaboration with the DuSable Museum of African American History and will explore the life, times, and leadership of the men who guided America through one of the most tumultuous periods of its history. -- www.chicagohistory.org