Channeling Frederick Douglass: He Would Want Us All to Vote

Being the great, great granddaughter of  Frederick Douglass, the nineteenth century social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman.has been a vibrant part of her family legacy for many generations.

If she could "channel" her famous ancestor during this time of social upheaval, he would tell everyone to vote, says Maria Weaver, CMO of Comcast Advertising, in this interview with Beet.TV In this wider ranging interview for the Black Lives Matters series on Beet.TV, she urges women of color to "bring their whole selves to work," not a version shaped by what is expected of them.

In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and the widespread upheaval over racial injustice, she is encouraged  by the movement of many corporations to make real change in hiring, mentoring and moving to a be more inclusive.

For society at large, however, much more work needs to be done, she notes.

Celebrating their Douglass legacy, Weaver's two daughters Alexa and Haley recently took part of a virtual group reading of the abolitionist's July 4 speech which was delivered on July 5, 1852.

The segment was produced by NPR.