Our History and Logo

Anna Murray Douglass Academy School No.12 is proud to showcase our history. Our school was built on the land that Anna Murray Douglass and Frederick Douglass lived for many years. We do not want our history to be forgotten and believe that Anna Murray-Douglass was a passionate and inspiring woman who deserves to be celebrated for all of her achievements. At this home, where our school currently stands, Anna Murray-Douglass raised five children, Rosetta, Lewis, Charles, Frederick, and Annie. While the family lived in Rochester, NY, Anna fought for the freedom of slaves and supported the Underground Railroad as an abolitionist, hosting an innumerable amount of slaves in their home. 

“They say she held the household together, but there was so much more to it than that,” O’Keefe, the author of the book Frederick and Anna Douglass in Rochester, says. Anna would’ve been working constantly to manage the guests, keep the house clean, tend the garden, balance the varying opinions of her husband’s colleagues without getting caught in the middle, and keeping their work on the Underground Railroad secret. “It was a tough role, a very tough role.”

In the year 1872, the Douglass residence was burned down, likely to arson. During the time the Douglass family resided on our plot of land, they protected and saved countless people of color. They raised a family and fought for equality and the de-segregation of public schools in Rochester. While living here, Frederick Douglass was able to begin the publication The North Star, an anti-slavery newspaper.

We like to pay tribute for all of the hardships the Douglass family faced and show our admiration for all that Anna accomplished during her lifetime here at AMDA12. In respect of all that Anna had accomplished, we dedicate our logo to her. Our logo contains Anna's silhouette with the North Star above to represent her dedication to supporting the Underground Railroad and her diligent work with other famous activists, such as Harriet Tubman. Our city of Rochester wouldn't be what it is today without the Douglass family. We hope that when you visit our school you will always be reminded of the courageous acts that happened here on the land that Anna Murray Douglass Academy School #12 resides at.