WHS is pleased to announce that we will be co-hosting another opportunity for community members to participate in the "Reading Frederick Douglass" program, as well as a discussion afterwards.
WHAT: a public reading of Frederick Douglass's famous 1852 speech, "The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro," with a discussion following the reading. This 169-year-old speech is powerful and timely still.
WHEN: 2:00 p.m. on July 4th
WHERE: outside the Worcester Historical Society building (the old White School) on Ladd Field, off of Calais Road in Worcester Village
If you have never participated in a "Reading Frederick Douglass" event before, what happens is that we gather and take turns reading the speech aloud together, paragraph by paragraph. Anyone who would like to read may join the "queue" of readers. We have plenty of copies of the speech to share. And anyone who's 'just interested' is very welcome to join our gathering, to listen.
The speech is quite remarkable – both informational and thought provoking. In this regard, we invite you to join us for a facilitated conversation following the reading, to reflect on what we've heard, how we see the implications of this history and these ideas today, and what might be steps forward.
Here's a little BACKGROUND INFORMATION, if you're curious:
Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838. He taught himself to read, and impressively, became a celebrated orator and abolitionist. He delivered his Fourth of July speech on July 5, 1852, to the Rochester (NY) Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society. In powerful language, he denounces slavery, and examines the United States Constitution in a way that challenges us to reflect on the histories we've learned, the values they embody, and whether our actions today match our aspirations.
The program is sponsored by the Worcester Historical Society, Central Vermont Showing Up for Racial Justice, and the Worcester 4th of July Planning Committee.
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