A Historic Red Cross Friendship: Honoring Black History Month

By: Lauren McMinn Clarke, American Red Cross volunteer contributor

Trailblazing can be lonely work. It is important to have supporters around when a groundbreaking path is forged.

Frederick Douglass, photo courtesy PBS

When nurse Clara Barton (1821-1912) was trying to rally national support to create an American Red Cross, she found wonderful encouragement in African American antislavery author and activist Frederick Douglass (1818-1895).

Barton had already been an avid supporter of the Black Civil Rights movement; during the war, she aided not only soldiers from both North and South, but she also aided wounded soldiers regardless of their race.

Douglass and Barton met right after the Civil War, while Barton was on a nationwide tour giving speeches about the war.

Douglass lent his support in 1882 to the Red Cross “Appeal to the American People” to raise money to assist victims of the Mississippi River floods. He continued to support Barton and the American Red Cross, becoming one of the founding members of the organization.

Some have said that Frederick Douglass's early participation in the creation of the American Red Cross paved the way for Steve D. Bullock to become the organization's first African American Acting President in 1999.

During this Black History Month, we are proud to honor the contributions of humanitarian Frederick Douglass to the American Red Cross.

**This story originally posted on February 3, 2014**

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Thank You for Being a Friend

Yesterday was the 76th anniversary of National Friendship Day! This special day was established by the United States Congress in 1935 as a day to honor friends and friendships. At the American Red Cross, we could not operate without the support and generosity of our many friends.

Donors. Your humanitarian spirit counteracts the force of disasters that tear through communities across America. You are a true friend and partner of the American Red Cross and we thank you for your generosity.

Partners. How do we prepare for the unthinkable? How do we put people where they need to be so they can do the most good? How do we work within a humanitarian network that touches lives in every part of the world? You are the answer to these questions.

Volunteers. You are the American Red Cross. As a volunteer, you display the selflessness and dedication to humanity that enable us to continue the timeless commitment of this organization. We value your work and it is with deep appreciation that we say thank you for being a friend.

Blood Donors. Every two seconds someone in America needs blood. By supporting the American Red Cross Biomedical Services, you help to ensure that the nation’s blood supply is safe and available to help every individual in need of it. When you help the American Red Cross, you help your family, your community and our country. Thank you for your generosity and friendship.

Compassion for others, thoughtfulness in deed and generosity during times of need are the very essence of what makes the world a better place. Thank you to our many friends for rising to the occasion. You have enabled the American Red Cross to help an individual, a family, a community realize that there is hope.

In honor of National Friendship Day, we salute each of you!

Thank You for Being a Friend

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