Michelle Daniels

Michelle Daniels founded the Frederick Douglass home-site marker at School #12 in 2007. With the absence of Douglass programming, and the lack of after-school activities, she started the Frederick Douglass Club (FDC).

Ms. Daniels taught a diverse group of fourth, fifth and sixth grade students local and national history, following in the footsteps of Frederick Douglass. Learning through lectures, field trips, and reading, the students’ annual plays were so popular that they garnered attention from media, universities, museums, and national historic sites.

FDC students placed first through third annually in local and national speech competitions. One of the students, Campbell McDade Clay, was invited to recite her speech for the unveiling of the Douglass statue at the United States Capitol. Ms. Daniels also funded and escorted the students to different states and cities in the country to learn about history.

Due to health issues, Ms. Daniels could no longer manage the club. She generously donated 2,500 copies of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography to area students, along with two life-sized Douglass statues to be erected in the City. When one of the statues was vandalized, this prompted her activist side to emerge. In 2017, Ms. Daniels’ Douglass Club journey earned her a City of Rochester Proclamation naming a day in her honor.

In 2017, Ms. Daniels beat cancer. After receiving letters of encouragement from Presidents Carter and Obama, she found a strong sense of purpose. She jumped into action and helped bring aid to the areas most affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. As she looked for her friends’ loved ones, Ms. Daniels documented her journey on Facebook. Recognizing her hard work and dedication to help those in need, Action for a Better Community awarded her the Signature Citizen of the Year, and presented her with a county proclamation.

Ms. Daniels, and her husband, Eric, generously donate to educational initiatives. In 2019, the couple were awarded the UNCF Frederick Douglass Patterson Leadership Award. Simultaneously, the City of Rochester presented the duo with a key to the City.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Daniels has been a staunch supporter of her community, donating toiletries, homeless shelter kits, food and masks. To date, she has made, distributed and donated 5,750 masks.