Center for the Humanities and the Public Sphere

John H. Anderson, Jr., the son of Civil War reenactors has been part of his mother’s reenactment troop for 17 years.  His mother had been troubled by the neglect and false impressions most historians had given of slaves and free persons of color regarding their development of our nation.  Deliberately omitting rhetoric about the well-known horrors of slavery, they set out to tell the stories about the lives and contributions of Americans of African decent from this era. John chose to learn the role of the famed abolitionist orator Frederick Douglass and began giving speeches and discussions on the Civil War and the contribution of people of color.

His goal in impersonating Frederick Douglas is to have everyone present feel enlightened and proud to be an American decendant of our history, regardless of which side our ancestors stood during the civil war.  He speaks to all races, all ages and all cultural backgrounds with that simple goal in mind.

He has participated in the Battle of Olustee Festival for 17 years has been the main speaker at the Emancipation Day commemoration in Tallahassee, as well as many other events.  He played a leading role in his mother’s documentary film, ‘Filling the Gap’.