Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a former slave who became a leading abolitionist and social reformer. When too ill to continue his speaking engagements, he wrote letters of support for the anti-lynching activist and investigative journalist Ida B. Wells (1862–1931) to take his place. With the letter reproduced here, we celebrate the legacies of Douglass and Wells – two of the most revered leaders in African American history.