February 14 marks the chosen birthday of nineteenth-century civil rights leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and recently has been dedicated as Douglass Day. This year was Fredrick Douglass’ 207th birthday, and the eighth annual Douglass Day.
Douglass was born enslaved around 1818 and freed himself in 1838, becoming a prolific orator, writer and abolitionist in the North. He was one of the most influential figures of his time, and met with many important figures at the time, including President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. Douglass was also a women’s rights advocate, and was the only Black person to attend the 1848 Seneca Falls convention, where he favorably linked women’s suffrage to Black men’s suffrage.
To celebrate Douglass Day, a nationwide transcription event which honors Douglass’ chosen birthday and his work takes place, where anyone can help transcribe influential documents from nineteenth century Black American history from cursive into digital text. The goal of the event is to transcribe old documents so that they are more accessible to modern audiences. Douglass Day, for the third year, has partnered with the Library of Congress to host their transcription events. This year, over 10,000 pages were transcribed by organizations and individuals throughout the country. Anyone was welcome to join via the Library of Congress’ website. Accompanying the transcription efforts, the Douglass Day YouTube channel hosts a livestream from 12 pm to 3 pm, where they had readings of famous speeches, songs, and interviews intercut with quiet time to transcribe.
At Dickinson, the Popel Shaw Center hosted the College’s celebration of both Douglass Day and Fredrick Douglass’ birthday. Reverend Yvette Davis said that, “Frederick Douglass had a keen understanding of power … [and] operated in 100% wholeness.” She also spoke about how Douglass “embodied everything that spoke to wholeness, sacred worth and equity.” The Popel Shaw Center celebrated Douglass’ birthday by holding a small party in the center. They ordered a 207th birthday cake for Douglass, which was cut by Reverend Davis in period attire, and played the livestream of Douglass Day on the TV. According to Lily Sweeney from Library Services, the Popel Shaw Center had 16 people participate in transcribing documents, with them transcribing from both the African-American Perspectives in Print collection from the Library of Congress and the Freedman’s Bureau Papers from the Smithsonian.
