Naples Standard

Congressman Byron Donalds, representing Florida's 19th district, recently shared several tweets addressing topics from Valentine's Day greetings to the commemoration of Frederick Douglass. Donalds has been a member of the U.S. Congress since 2021, succeeding Francis Rooney. He was previously a member of the Florida House of Representatives and holds degrees from both Florida A&M University and Florida State University.

On February 14, Congressman Donalds posted a simple greeting for Valentine's Day: "Happy Valentine's Day!"

Later that day, he highlighted Frederick Douglass's adoption of Valentine's Day as his birthday, stating: "Born into slavery in 1818, Frederick Douglass adopted Valentine's Day as his birthday. He was a journalist, publisher, abolitionist icon, and American hero. In honor of his 207th birthday, this morning I proudly reintroduced 'The Bipartisan Frederick Douglass Press Gallery…"

On February 16, Donalds further emphasized Douglass's legacy with another tweet: "Frederick Douglass famously said, 'Knowledge is the pathway from slavery to freedom.' Working out of the House Press Gallery, he employed the transmission of information to empower our nation to uphold its solemn creed that all men are created equal."