Among the Capitol press corps, look for Frederick Douglass
Source: Roll Call
Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Byron Donalds unveil the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery sign in the Capitol on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)
Posted February 12, 2026 at 4:13pm
Speaker Mike Johnson pulled a cord and unveiled a plaque hanging above a door at the end of a cramped hallway on the Capitol’s third floor. For the first time, a press gallery on Capitol Hill was named after a journalist: Frederick Douglass. Douglass’ legacy in journalism is crucial, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said Thursday, especially in a “fractured” media landscape.
“I think if you just ask the American people, it’s pretty clear that there are various points of view throughout the media,” he said Thursday. “I think everybody’s got to challenge themselves to make sure they’re challenging their personal worldviews as they write their articles, put together a podcast or do their shows.” “Douglass built a life and legacy off the power of his pen and his powerful voice, and the will of that power had a great effect in this institution and the halls that will now appropriately bear his name,” said Johnson, R-La.
Donalds, who is running for Florida governor, spearheaded the resolution to name the gallery after Douglass, who worked out of the House press gallery in the 19th century. Douglass escaped slavery and became an iconic abolitionist and writer who founded an anti-slavery newspaper called the North Star.
“When he started the North Star, he had a printing press, a clear voice, and a conviction that truth, when set on fire, could burn down the institution of slavery,” Donalds said. “By putting his name here, we are setting a standard for every journalist which occupies those seats.”
Read more: https://rollcall.com/2026/02/12/among-capitol-press-corps-look-for-frederick-douglass/
Douglass is "DEI".
(from here - https://africanamericancollection.com/portfolio/the-legendary-north-star/north-star-womens-rights-1848-332kb/)
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