Reading Frederick Douglass Together is a statewide series of public readings and discussions of Douglass’s timeless 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
In his time and in the context of the 250th anniversary of the Revolution, Douglass’ denunciations of slavery and forceful examination of the Constitution challenge us to think about the stories we tell and do not tell, the ideas that they teach or do not teach, and the gaps between our actions and aspirations. To quote Douglass: “We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the future.”
Douglass’ words and life challenged Americans to fight for and find hope in the promises of the Revolution, the same promises we still fight for today: equality for all, freedom from tyranny, and a representative democracy. Your sponsorship will support more than 58 community readings and discussions throughout Massachusetts.
