The Biblical hero Samson has long been an American hero, inspiring the Founding Fathers, presidents, abolitionists, and Civil Rights leaders. Here are some examples:
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“At Douglass’ funeral, in turn, the president of Howard University, the Reverend Dr. Jeremiah Rankin, spoke of how God had sent Douglass to fight against slavery, intending, “I will set this Samson of Freedom in your temple of Dagon, and his tawny arms shall yet tumble its columns about the ears of the worshipers.”
“Booker T. Washington and Nat Turner also were compared to Samson, and later writers including Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin weaved his exploits into their prose. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. each spoke often of Samson, with the latter advocating for a more peaceful resolution of the battle of Civil Rights than that of the Israelite temple-toppler.”
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/belief/articles/american-samson