Final answer:
Frederick Douglass was the first true leader of free blacks before and after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first true leader of free blacks before and after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation was Frederick Douglass. He was a prominent African-American abolitionist, writer, and reformer who fought for the rights of African Americans. Douglass was an influential figure in the abolitionist movement and played a crucial role in advocating for the emancipation of slaves.
Learn more about Frederick Douglass