icans ▁were ▁active ▁in ▁social , ▁anti - s la very , ▁and ▁political ▁organizations . ▁School s ▁were ▁integrated . ▁Church es ▁were ▁generally ▁seg reg ated . ▁For ▁instance , ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 8 0 0 s , ▁the ▁only ▁known ▁black ▁person ▁to ▁be ▁admitted ▁to ▁a ▁Qu aker ▁church ▁in ▁sout he astern ▁Massachusetts ▁was ▁Paul ▁C uff e . ▁Frederick ▁Doug lass ▁felt ▁un com fort able ▁in ▁white ▁churches ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁African - Method ist - E pis cop al ▁Church . ▁ ▁While ▁African - Amer icans ▁had ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁advance ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford , ▁it ▁was ▁difficult ▁for ▁many ▁because ▁they ▁generally ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁" sk etch y " ▁part ▁of ▁town , ▁removed ▁from ▁dow nt own ▁New ▁Bed ford , ▁and ▁had ▁low - pay ing ▁jobs — la und ering ▁cl othing , ▁driving ▁carri ages , ▁or ▁performing ▁jobs ▁of ▁hand ymen . ▁Some , ▁though , ▁who ▁were ▁successful ▁business ▁own ers ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁nic er ▁parts ▁of ▁town . ▁ ▁Notable ▁people ▁ ▁Frederick ▁Doug lass ▁arrived ▁in ▁New ▁Bed ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 ▁as ▁a ▁fug itive ▁slave , ▁who ▁found ▁that ▁his ▁ability ▁to ▁ear n ▁money ▁was ▁limited ▁based ▁upon ▁the ▁color ▁of ▁his ▁skin . ▁Initial ly , ▁although ▁qualified ▁to ▁do ▁perform ▁jobs ▁requiring ▁special ▁skills , ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁able ▁to ▁obtain ▁work ▁of ▁common ▁labor ers — dig ging , ▁clean ing