This large mural on Northumberland Street in West Belfast brings together Frederick Douglass, the American abolitionist, and a wide-ranging collection of historical figures and scenes associated with the struggles against slavery, racism and oppression.

Douglass dominates the composition in a monumental portrait. To his left are figures including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, alongside imagery relating to slavery and the civil rights movement. The inscription “THANK YOU SISTER ROSA” honours Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in 1955 became a defining moment in the American civil rights struggle. Elsewhere, the words “I HAVE A DREAM” refer to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous 1963 speech.

Born into slavery around 1818, Douglass escaped and became one of the leading voices of the American abolitionist movement. His connection with Belfast is particularly significant: during his tour of Britain and Ireland in 1845 - 1847, he visited Belfast and spoke publicly against slavery.

The mural belongs to the wider tradition of politically engaged public art in West Belfast, where the International Wall and neighbouring mural sites address struggles for liberation, civil rights and international solidarity.