Reading Frederick Douglass Together to take place June 24

Thursday, June 24, 2021

6:30 p.m. Reception
7:00 p.m. Program
FREE
Sponsored by Mass Humanities

The Forbes House Museum and Courageous Conversations Toward Racial Justice are once again partnering for a community reading of Frederick Douglass’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Following the speech, there will be time for discussion and reflection. We hope you’ll join us for this hybrid event, with options to participate either virtually or in-person on the lawn of the museum. Interested participants can sign up to read a paragraph from Douglass’s speech.

Click on the link to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeL-Z8Rh3cCMx2nbii_jbGc5MxIWA5ffyje4fDRNSNhyHXvwA/viewform

Frederick Douglass gave his famous speech on July 5, 1852 at the request of the Ladies Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester. He opted not to deliver it on July 4th, a date meant to commemorate our national independence. At the time, our country was fiercely divided over the issue of slavery, but the conflict had yet to escalate to a Civil War. Douglass’s words challenge us even today, as this country continues to wrestle with issues of race and inequality.