A Blue Plaque has been unveiled in North Shields to mark the 180th anniversary of a visit by abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
The plaque was unveiled on Tuesday 4 August outside the Baptist Church on Howard Street, where Douglass delivered two lectures in 1846 at the invitation of the North Shields Anti-Slavery Society.
Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818 and escaped in 1838. However, he remained legally enslaved when he travelled to Britain and Ireland to speak about slavery and support the abolitionist movement.
During his visit to the North East, he addressed audiences about his experiences and the campaign to end slavery.
Later in 1846, Newcastle-born sisters Anna and Ellen Richardson helped purchase his legal freedom, allowing him to return to the United States as a free man.
The plaque was installed by the North Shields Heritology Project.
The ceremony included an introduction from David Young of the North Shields Heritology Project and the official unveiling by Justine King, Education Coordinator for Show Racism the Red Card.
Councillor Wendy Lott, Chair of North Tyneside Council, said: “Frederick Douglass was a remarkable man whose courage, determination and powerful voice helped change the course of history.
“It is a source of pride that North Shields played a small but significant part in his journey to freedom, and this Blue Plaque will help ensure that connection is remembered.
“It is important that we continue to recognise those who stood up for equality and human dignity, and the values they continue to represent today.”