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Two Men, One Dream Frederick Douglass was Black; Abraham Lincoln was White; Their Dream of Freedom in America was Colorblind. By Bryce O. Stenzel The setting for this one act play is Lincoln's presidential office in the White House, during the uncertain summer of 1864. He summons Frederick Douglass for a conference on encouraging slaves to desert their Southern masters and fight for their freedom. Lincoln fears that recent military setbacks may cause him to lose the presidency in the upcoming election of 1864. The likely successor, George B. McClellan (no friend of abolition) might rescind the Emancipation Proclamation. This was actually the second time Lincoln and Douglass had met. The first had been a year earlier when Douglass had pleaded with Lincoln to employ the use of black troops in the Union's war effort. Out of this came the formation of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, composed of black soldiers, let by white officers. Douglass's own son, Lewis, enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts. He became its first black sergeant major. The scene opens with Lincoln greeting his caller. In their historic meeting, Douglass and Lincoln paved the way for other advocates of Black freedom to follow their lead. It was they [Douglass and Lincoln] who conceived the "dream," that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. articulated almost 100 years later in his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. It is a dream that America still struggles to achieve. 3 B/W photographs. For schools, community theatre organizations, etc. Minnesota Heritage Publishing offers a quantity discount:
About the author Bryce O. Stenzel was born and raised in rural Mankato, Minnesota. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Teaching and a Master's Degree in History from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He teaches full-time at the elementary and secondary levels as well as offers Community Education classes on historical topics throughout the year. As a costumed historical interpreter, Stenzel portrays Abraham Lincoln. He is a member of the Association of Lincoln Presenters and a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. His first book, Abraham Lincoln: Man of the People was published in 1996. He has since published two other books; Mankato Milestones, 1852-2002: The Historians Handbook of Facts and Folklore from the Mankato Area, German Immigration to the Minnesota River Valley Frontier 1852-1865; and three playbooks, Lincoln for the Stages, Two Men, One Dream and To Bind the Nation’s Wounds: Lincoln’s Last Days. When he's not teaching, writing or portraying America's 16th president, Stenzel enjoys travel and photography. Lincoln Lives! Bryce Stenzel impersonates Abraham Lincoln Reviews & Comments Two Men, One Dream earned the YWCA of Mankato's Youth Eliminating Racism Award because of the impact it had on youth and the community. Black and white students worked together to achieve a shared mission while teaching the community about a significant historical event with lasting impact on the present day. These students set an example by showing what mutual cooperation and respect between people of different racial or ethnic backgrounds can accomplish. The play is a vehicle that many can use to share a similar message. |
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