Ahead of His Time: The Story of Charles Sumner, Pt1
From Humankind on Public Radio by David Freudberg
May 11, 2026 · 27 min
About this episode
This episode explores the life of Charles Sumner, a U.S. senator who advocated for the abolition of slavery and faced violence for his beliefs.
We examine the remarkable life of Charles Sumner, a U.S. senator from Mass. who boldly championed the abolition of slavery. Sumner coined the phrase “equality before the law” and was viciously assaulted for his beliefs. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.
People in this episode
Host: David Freudberg
Topics covered
- abolition of slavery
- U.S. senator
- equality before the law
- civil rights
- historical biography
Keywords
- Charles Sumner
- abolition
- equality
- U.S. senator
- civil rights
- history
- Massachusetts
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: NPR, PRX, GBH Boston
Places: Mass.
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- Ahead of His Time, Charles Sumner, Pt2 · May 18, 2026 · 28 min
- Aging in Community, Pt3 · May 14, 2026 · 29 min
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