David Ruggles’ powerful commitment to ending enslavement made him an intense person to work with. He openly used his money to create businesses that benefited Black people, helped free others on the Underground Railroad, and spoke out against enslavement.
Yet, there was still something else critical to his success as an abolitionist.
Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth, two of the most well-known and prolific abolitionists of their time, often sought out his wisdom – and they also sought a special skill that he used to teach, inspire and heal those around him.
He even used it to heal himself after white supremacists subjected him to death threats, beat him, and blinded him in one eye! What was it?
“Hydrotherapy.” Ruggles used water to heal Douglass, Truth, and other abolitionists from the hard work of fighting white supremacy. But he did something else that was equally important.
He encouraged them to put actions behind their words! He went so far with this philosophy that even other Black abolitionists labeled him as a radical. But even they couldn’t deny the power of his encouragement, and the effectiveness of hydrotherapy.
Ruggles inspired those around him to take their life’s work to the next level. His story reminds us that building a strong Black community requires us to do the same – support, encourage, and love one another!