Just in time for Black History Month, the Disneyland Opera House is welcoming another addition with a special video presentation recognizing shared work in the fight against slavery between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Disney confirmed that the portrait in-between the busts and portraits of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln will play a new special presentation narrated by Robin Roberts. Produced in collaboration with National Geographic, the new video features expert testimonials and the family of Douglass, an American advocate for freedom, justice and democracy and will share the story of the historic relationship between Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Here’s some historical information, courtesy of Disney.

President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, a wartime act, which took effect Jan. 1, 1863. It declared that the enslaved in the Confederate states were considered free. However, it took leaders like Douglass to help guide Lincoln towards making the ending of slavery central to winning the Civil War.

Born in Maryland in 1818, Douglass was enslaved until escaping to freedom in 1838. During his enslavement, he learned to read and write, something that was not easy for someone in slavery to accomplish. This led to his lifelong skills as a great writer and orator. Settling in Massachusetts with his wife Anna Murray, Douglass became a powerful public speaker and joined the abolitionist movement to end slavery. He became a well-known and vocal leader in the movement.

Published in 1845, his first autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” became a national best-seller. This fame led to several meetings between Douglass and Lincoln during which Douglass was vocal in both pushing for the emancipation of the slaves and the inclusion of African Americans in the Union Army.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1865, and all slaves, in both the North and the South, were freed.

See it for Yourself

The new video tribute to Frederick Douglass can be found inside the Disneyland Opera House on Main Street, USA starting January 27, 2023.