About Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”

– Frederick Douglass

Since its inception in 2007, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives has been advocating for a more equitable world on the issues of human trafficking and racism. Co-founded by direct descendants of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, FDFI is headquartered in Rochester, NY — a place Frederick Douglass once called home.

Our Philosophy

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives believes that all individuals are born free with equal rights. We are motivated, as was our namesake, to help secure personal freedom and rights for those that have been denied them. We are an apolitical organization with no religious affiliation. We are not bound to any one race, color, or creed but obligated to all.

Our Mission

To build strong children and to end systems of exploitation and oppression

Our Vision

A more equitable world without slavery or racism

History

We learned in school about great leaders like Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington; how they helped shape the world around them. Legacies like these and the issues they faced, however, can seem far removed from our own lives when presented in the context of history lessons.

They’re not far removed.

Modern-day slavery and Racism remain two of America’s most persistent problems. This is a critical time for the next change makers to emerge who will, perhaps, be inspired but, unquestionably, informed by leaders and events of the past.

Why Rochester, NY?

Frederick Douglass called Rochester home longer than anywhere else. During the 25 years he lived here, he published his weekly newspapers, The North Star and Frederick Douglass Paper. In Rochester, Douglass was a vital part of the Underground Railroad, he gave one of the greatest speeches in American history – What to the slave is the Fourth of July? – and he supported the work of the women’s rights movement.

From 1847 to 1872, he called this city his home and chose it as his final resting place as well, in Mount Hope Cemetery. The spirit of Frederick Douglass lives on, but there is still much work to be done; in Rochester, NY, and around the world.

With its return to Rochester, the Douglass family comes full circle signifying the continuation of the Abolitionist and AntiRacist movements that Frederick Douglass championed here.

Our Remarkable Family Lineage

Our founders, Ms. Douglass and Mr. Morris are direct descendants of Frederick Douglass, The Great Abolitionist, and Booker T. Washington, the famed educator and founder of Tuskegee Institute.

Through the union of Ms. Douglass’s mother, Nettie Hancock Washington (granddaughter of Booker T. Washington), and her father, Dr. Frederick Douglass III (great-grandson of Frederick Douglass), our founders unite the bloodlines of two of the most influential names in American history.

Anna Murray and Frederick Douglass

Charles Remond Douglass

Joseph H. Douglass’s Family: Fannie Howard Douglass, Blanche, and Frederick III

Frederick Douglass III, Nettie II, and Booker T. Washington III

Nettie II and III (Honey) with Josephine Baker

Meet Our Team

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass

Abolitionist & Director Emeritus

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland sometime in 1818. He was birthed by an enslaved woman and was the property of a white man. It was presumed his enslaver was his father, although he never knew for sure. He changed his name to Douglass after escaping his bondage at twenty to elude re-enslavement. 

Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington

Educator & Director Emeritus

Booker T. Washington recalled his childhood in his autobiography, Up From Slavery. He was born in 1856 on the Burroughs tobacco farm, which, despite its small size, he always referred to as a “plantation.” His mother was a cook, his father, a white man from a nearby farm. “The early years of my life, which were spent in the little cabin,” he wrote, “were not very different from those of other slaves.”
Nettie Washington Douglass

Nettie Washington Douglass

Founder & Chairwoman Emerita

Ms. Douglass is the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. Her lineage is incredible and the story of how she has represented these legacies since she was a child is equally fascinating. FDFI is the next step in her journey.

Kenneth B. Morris, Jr.

Kenneth B. Morris, Jr.

Founder & President

Mr. Morris is the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass and the great-great- grandson of Booker T. Washington. He is reviving the critical work of his ancestors in the key leadership role at FDFI. He continues a family legacy in anti-slavery, education and antiracism while helping to craft and implement innovative programming to address these persistent issues still facing communities today.
Robert J. Benz

Robert J. Benz

Co-Founder

From 2007 until his departure from FDFI in 2021, Robert J. Benz served as Executive Vice President.  Mr. Benz led the development of FDFI’s core philosophy of a preventive approach to human trafficking manifested today as the nation’s premier prevention education program, PROTECT.

FDFI Staff & Senior Advisors

Celeste-Marie Bernier

Celeste-Marie Bernier

Douglass Family Scholar, Historian, and Consultant

Celeste-Marie Bernier is a Professor of United States and Atlantic Studies and Personal Chair in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is the author of over 20 monographs, essay collections, special issues, and scholarly editions and over 35 essays and book chapters and curator of over 6 US and UK traveling exhibitions.

Kevin Douglass Greene

Kevin Douglass Greene

Great-great-grandson, Frederick Douglass

Kevin Douglass Greene is a retired Army veteran.  He has spent over half his life in service to and continues to serve this country and its Veterans. Kevin is honored to continue supporting and educating our Military personnel and families.
Rebekka Boysen-Taylor

Rebekka Boysen-Taylor

Senior Curriculum Advisor

Rebekka Boysen-Taylor is a middle school teacher, curriculum author, and educational researcher in rural northern Idaho. Each winter, her Palouse Prairie 7th-grade students study the roots of racism, historic and modern-day slavery, and abolition.

Kristin M. Leary

Kristin M. Leary

Senior Advisor & Co-Founder of the Frederick Douglass Ireland Project

Kristin M. Leary provides strategic and political government relations consulting to both nonprofit and for-profit clients as Founder and Principal at Leary Ventures in Washington, D.C. She has over 20 years of experience building coalitions and partnerships among diverse groups and interests around policy issues.

Hon. Teta V. Banks, Ed.D.

Hon. Teta V. Banks, Ed.D.

National Chair

The Honorable Dr. Teta V. Banks is a diplomat, human rights advocate, and educator. Originally from Liberia, she grew up in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of the late Dr. Victoria Banks and Rev. Dr. A.A. Banks, Jr., civil rights colleagues of Dr. King and Mrs. Rosa Parks.
Jeremy Scott Alexander

Jeremy Scott Alexander

Director of Government Affairs

Mr. Alexander currently works for Georgetown University in the Office of Technology Commercialization. In November 2016, he discovered that his 3rd Great Grandmother and her children were sold on the 19th of June 1838 by the Jesuit priests who led what was known then as Georgetown College.

Board of Directors

Nettie Washington Douglass

Nettie Washington Douglass

Chairwoman Emerita

Ms. Douglass is the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington. Her lineage is incredible and the story of how she has represented these legacies since she was a child is equally fascinating. FDFI is the next step in her journey.

Michael Szymanski

Michael Szymanski

Chairman of the Board

Mr. Szymanski is a government affairs consultant in Washington, D.C. and Partner with The National Group, LLP. At The National Group, he counsels public and private sector clients on a broad range of federal legislative and regulatory issues. He is a former member of the Obama Administration and, in 2009, was appointed to the U.S. Department of State.

Negelle Morris

Negelle Morris

Corporate Executive

Negelle Morris is a business leader with over 25 years of experience working within multiple clinical and corporate environments where her focus has been in direct patient care, healthcare leadership, sales strategy development, and patient access.  She currently leads a team of 600 employees as Commercial Vice President at Novo Nordisk Inc., a global pharmaceutical company specializing in the treatment of Diabetes, Obesity and other rare diseases.

David W. Blight

David W. Blight

Yale Professor of American History, Author, Director of the Gilder-Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition

David W. Blight, is the Sterling Professor of History, African American Studies and American Studies. The Sterling Professorship is the highest honor bestowed on Yale faculty. He was awarded the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for his biography, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” the film rights for which Michelle and Barack Obama purchased for their Netflix programming.
Gabrielle Koeppel

Gabrielle Koeppel

Attorney

Gabrielle (Gabi) Koeppel is of counsel to Kelliher & Salzer, LLC. Gabi is a development and legal consultant for senior members of real estate development companies and individual investors on all aspects of zoning, site plan approval and other public entitlements, transportation issues and environmental matters, leasing, construction, design, and finance, including negotiations with anchor tenants and department stores, financial partners, lenders, sellers and purchasers. 

Carvin Eison

Carvin Eison

Filmmaker & Owner, ImageWordSound

Carvin Eison is a filmmaker and owner of the production company ImageWordSound, recognized internationally for creating intensely powerful films that explore racial dissonance and social discord in American culture.
Charles Randolph-Wright

Charles Randolph-Wright

Writer/Director/Producer: Television, Film and Theater

CHARLES RANDOLPH-WRIGHT has built a dynamic and diversified career in directing, writing, and producing for theatre, television, and film.  He currently is Executive Producer/Director on the initial season of the television series DELILAH on OWN. Upcoming theatre directing projects are the world premiere of AMERICAN PROPHET: FREDERICK DOUGLASS IN HIS OWN WORDS (which he co-wrote with Grammy winner Marcus Hummon) at Arena Stage in D.C.

Elihu "Eli" Miles

Elihu "Eli" Miles

Board Treasurer

Mr. Miles has over 20 years of experience across management, strategic consulting and operations. He specializes in strategic problem solving, growth strategy, organizational strategy, market strategy and change management. As a Practice Manager for Amazon Web Services (AWS), he accelerates customers’ journeys and use of the AWS cloud by removing technical, organizational, and business blockers.

Maria Weaver

Maria Weaver

Great-great-grandaughter, Frederick Douglass

Maria Weaver is the President of WEA, the global artists and label services division at Warner Music Group, home to artists such as Bruno Mars, Lizzo, Cold Play and Cardi B.

Todd Allen

Todd Allen

Entrepreneur

Mr. Allen is from New Jersey, born in Newark, raised in Livingston and educated at Montclair State University, earning a B.S. in Business Administration in 1985. He spent his career in the trading pits of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), buying and selling natural gas, crude oil, and gold futures and options.

Now that you’ve met our team, it’s time to get involved yourself! Contact us today!

Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives
130 E. Main Street
Rochester, NY 14604

Legal Counsel
Jon P. Getz, Esq.

45 Exchange Blvd, Suite 500
Rochester, New York 14614

585-820-9291 | email: Jongetz@Jgetzlaw.com

Frederick Douglass Family Foundation (Initiatives), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity – EIN #26-0757405

Click here to view FDFI’s IRS Determination Letter