by Linda Mork
Quick Summary
Although Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and never knew his birthdate, he chose to celebrate it on February 14. This date came to be known as Douglass Day, a holiday when Black communities across the U.S.
Although Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and never knew his birthdate, he chose to celebrate it on February 14. This date came to be known as Douglass Day, a holiday when Black communities across the U.S. gathered to celebrate and remember the writer, orator, and abolitionist, and to protest against threats of racial violence and attacks on civil rights.
This year, celebrate the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass and Black History Month by helping document and preserve an important part of American history. On February 14, sites across the U.S. will join forces in an effort to transcribe records from the Freedmen's Bureau Papers archive. Participants will help type out these historical documents dating back to 1865. This event is sponsored by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Transcription Center, and the Colored Conventions Project.
You can participate by hosting your own transcribe-a-thon at your school or library; simply register at http://coloredconventions.org/hbd, and they will provide you with easy directions. Or walk in to the University of Minnesota's Center for Writing (Nicholson Hall, Room 15) on February 14 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM and start typing!
