Welcome back to the Douglass Day newsletter!
Douglass Day is next Tuesday! As we countdown to celebrating Frederick Douglass’s chosen birthday and the life of Mary Ann Shadd Cary, we want to make sure you have everything you need to host and enjoy a successful Douglass Day!
Enjoy this newsletter full of great resources and tips, and we hope to see you on February 14th!
Douglass Day Schedule
February 14th (Event will air on YouTube)
Live Broadcast–12:00 PM- 12:30 PM EST
Join us in song (“Lift Every Voice and Sing”), receive an overview of the program, and listen to speakers on Douglass and Shadd Cary.
Activity–12:30 PM-1:00 PM
Time for transcribing, readings, discussions, etc. During this time, we’ll leave the live stream running, but will go silent. Try our Spotify playlist!
Live Broadcast–1:00 PM-1:30 PM
Sing “Happy birthday” (both versions). We will have a dramatic reading of “Why Hold a Colored Convention?” by Hassan El-Amin.
Activity–1:30 PM-2:00 PM
Live Broadcast–2:00 PM-2:20 PM
Tune into “Mary Ann Shadd Cary at 200: A Panel Discussion,” moderated by Kristin Moriah and Denise Burgher, joined by esteemed guests.
Activity–2:20 PM-2:45 PM
Live Broadcast–2:45 PM-3:00 PM
Stay tuned for highlights from social media, Bake Off prizes, and closing reflections.
Still Undecided?
For those of you who are still undecided or are looking for local events to join, we can help with that! Visit our website to browse public events that may be happening statewide, nationwide, or even worldwide!
In case you missed it . . .
Check out this recording of our Douglass Day Preview Event!
Organizer Resources
Flyers, Swag, Event Guides, and More in the Organizing Kit!
The organizing kit is designed to make it as easy as possible to host an event for Douglass Day. It includes everything from basic logistics to templates for flyers, a press release you can fill-in, and our special graphics for this year. Don’t miss our new stickers and Zoom backgrounds! We post all graphics as image and pdf files. Download and customize them for your in-person and hybrid events!
Organizing Tip: During the event, if you have an in-person room, we suggest creating a “comment board” by placing a stack of post-it notes and some markers in the corner of the room. Ask people at your event to share ideas, feelings, or anything that arises during our day of transcribing. When the wall is full of comments and notes, please snap a photo and share it with us on social media (#DouglassDay)!
Mary Ann Shadd Cary Exhibit
Want to learn more about Mary Ann Shadd Cary before joining our Douglass Day transcribe-a-thon of her archive? Visit our newest digital exhibit “Mary Ann Shadd Cary’s Herstory in the Colored Conventions”. Learn about her life in the conventions, from her childhood raised by her delegate father Abraham Shadd, to her efforts as a community elder to form a new organization for D.C. Black women in response to sexism in the conventions. You’ll also find maps tracing her travels and writings about conventions, information about public art memorials to her, and teaching resources. We’ll be showing some of the exhibit in our Douglass Day livestream and announcing a new nationwide project to honor her, see you there!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Douglass Day event or class is not on February 14th? Can we still participate in Douglass Day?
Yes, you can still participate in the festivities! Our Zooniverse project, “Transcribe Shadd Cary,” will be posted on the morning of February 14th but will remain live until all materials are transcribed. Our day-of livestream will remain on our YouTube channel for anyone who wants the live experience on their own time!
Do you have transcription tutorials?
Yes! In our organizing kit, we have transcription tutorials that are easy to print for your events. It includes instructions for each type of activity on our “Transcribe Shadd Cary” Zooniverse project.
How can I join the Great Douglass Day Bake-off (GDDBO)?
The GDDBO is easy to join! The only thing you have to do is snap a picture of your Douglass Day themed baked good and post it with the hashtag, #DouglassDay, either on Instagram or Twitter. Store bought, homemade, class projects, and more are all eligible for the bake-off. We encourage you to get really creative! Our judges will choose the top three submissions and announce them at the end of the day-of livestream.
Do I need a Zooniverse account to transcribe?
Accounts are not required on Zooniverse, but we heartily recommend registering for an account! If you have an account, you can keep a collection of your work. Fascinated by a document that you want to check out later? You can hit "favorite" and save it to your account. An account also allows you to post on our "Talk" message boards for help, sharing, and more.
What happens to the transcriptions after Douglass Day?
After Douglass Day, we will begin the process of publishing the results freely and openly on a new website dedicated to sharing the life & legacies of Mary Ann Shadd Cary. Stay tuned!
How do I get help?
We will have a team ready to answer questions through our social media channels (#DouglassDay) and the Zooniverse Talk board. Visit our home page for information and directions!
