LYNN — “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men,” says abolitionist hero Frederick Douglass, sitting on the granite steps of High Rock Tower one recent sunny morning. John Hutchinson, whose family owns this magnificent building and land in the Highlands, nods in agreement.
“We are the best of buddies,” adds Douglass. “We bonded over the struggle against slavery and for women’s equality.”
“And it took place in Lynn, especially right here at High Rock,” says Hutchinson.
Douglass and Hutchinson — portrayed by Damon Harrison and Joe Boyd — will be part of Saturday’s World Music Festival at High Rock Park. They will tell it like it was in Lynn back in the day and sing a couple of politically pointed songs.The 11th annual festival runs from noon to 7 p.m., and features a mix of music, dance and history. Vendors will provide ethnic food, and there will be arts and crafts and yoga workshops. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to pay the performers. Attendees should bring a chair or blanket.
Harrison and Boyd are dressed to impress. Harrison, a longtime Lynner, sports a wild wig and fake mustache; Boyd, who lives in Danvers, wears an impressive hat and totes a Civil War-era wooden banjo. Both are decked out in period clothing, circa 1840s. And both are totally comfortable stepping into the roles of Douglass and Hutchinson.
If I address Harrison or Boyd by name, they ignore me. This morning, they are Douglass and Hutchinson.
I’m game. It’s the 1840s and I’m a freelance reporter (since the Item won’t publish its first edition until 1877), interviewing two of the city’s most prominent citizens.
Q: Mr. Hutchinson how did you end up in Lynn?
A: “We came to Lynn from Milford, New Hampshire, about 1839 and performed as The Hutchinson Family Singers — me, brothers Asa and Judson, and sister Abby, who replaced my brother Jesse, who owned a stove store downtown.
“We traveled the country singing songs for freedom and equality. A black man was considered three-fifths of a free man. We sang with a purpose. We performed at abolitionist rallies, and became friends with William Lloyd Garrison, Abraham Lincoln and John Greenleaf Whittier. And Frederick, of course, since we both were in Lynn.”
Q: Mr. Hutchinson, this is a beautiful setting. How did you acquire the land?
A: “We, the Hutchinsons, had money and success. We wanted the best piece of land in Lynn. We built the Tower and that modest stone house, which we all lived in. What a great place this is for a musician, to stand on this hill, look down and see the Atlantic Ocean. Our four-part harmonies sound wonderful up here.”
Q: Mr. Douglass, how did you two become friends? It’s so unlikely. After all, Mr. Hutchinson is white and a wealthy landowner, and you are black and a freed slave.
A: “It was unacceptable for the two of us to be friends, but we were. We both believed in the same causes, anti-slavery and equality for all. We both admired William Lloyd Garrison, the prominent abolitionist and social reformer. His abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, was a must read.
“I was one lucky slave. Miss Lucretia, my master’s wife, taught me to read. I had two masters, both with caring hearts. But master Thomas, one day, ordered Miss Lucretia to stop teaching me. ‘If you give a (n-word) an inch, he’ll take an ell’ (an obsolete unit of measurement, similar to a mile). Even as a free man, I was beat up, spit on …”
Q: Lynn has such a rich history, and it appears you love it here Mr. Douglass.
A: “I wrote my autobiography about my life as a slave in Lynn, my home from 1841 to 1848. My book ends with the words ‘I subscribe myself, Frederick Douglass, Lynn, MA. April 28, 1845.'”
The World Music Festival is hosted by the Highlands Coalition. David Gass, coalition director, said its mission is to fight for social justice and improve the neighborhood through various public works including community gardens, park clean up and development. The event is supported by the Downtown Lynn Cultural District, KIPP Academy, Beyond Walls and the Essex County Historic Commission.
The World Music Festival performance schedule: 12:15 p.m., Salaam Abbas, oud music from Kuwait/Iraq; 1 p.m., Floor Lords, dancing; 1:45 p.m., John Hutchinson & Frederick Douglass tell it like it was; 2:05 p.m., Injili Choir, music from Kenya; 2:35 p.m., Cape Cod African Drum and Dance; 3:30 p.m., Shir David, Jewish reggae/traditional dance; 4:20 p.m., John Hutchinson & Frederick Douglass tell it like it was; 5:15 p.m., Kilti Lakay, Haitian Ra-Ra; 6 p.m., Latino music.
Also, Michael Aghahowa of Lynn will host a mask-making workshop and create a historical painting; C.C. Yanakakis will perform music from folk to rock to ethnic; Leonora Sanchez will host a jewelry workshop; and Falan Delossantos will host face painting fun.
High Rock Tower and Observatory will be open for a spectacular view of the city, Atlantic Ocean and the sun.
The event is part of Trails & Sails, a series of free events happening throughout Essex County, through Sept. 28.
Also on Saturday in Lynn, participants will have a chance to marvel at the Tiffany stained glass windows at St. Stephen’s Church from 10 a.m. to noon, tour Lynn Museum from 11 a.m. to noon and the Grand Army of the Republic museum from 1 to 4 p.m., walk the Fay Estate from 1 to 2:30 p.m., and enjoy a plein art exhibit at Galleries at LynnArts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Michelle Guzman of Lynn Walking Shoe Tours will lead several tours, starting with a 10 a.m. walk through City Hall and its “city hALL” art and history exhibits. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a free trolley, sponsored by Downtown Lynn Cultural District, City Hall and organized by Lynn Walking Shoe Tours, will transport folks to various Trails & Sails events.
For more information, go to www.trailsandsails.org, www.hclynn.co or the World Music Festival Facebook page.
