“At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would, today, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.” – Frederick Douglass, What to the Slave Is the 4th of July
Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was a famed journalist, advocate, and inspiration to many, who fought for the abolition of slavery and supported other reform movements in the United States, including the women’s rights movement (National Civil Rights Museum). Born into slavery, Douglass escaped to New York in his early twenties, gaining his freedom, and quickly earned recognition for his powerful speeches and storytelling abilities. His first book, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written By Himself (1845), was an instant bestseller and applauded for its moving prose. He contributed to The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper published by William Llyord Garrison, and he later published his own newspapers, including The North Star, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, Douglass’s Monthly, and The New National Era. Douglass also held several appointments and high-level governmental positions, serving as the President of the Freedman’s Savings & Trust Co., the U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, and U.S. Minister Resident and Consul General to the Republic of Haiti. This biographical information comes from this post by Dr. Noelle Trent, where you can read more about his life and legacy.
Every year, we celebrate the life and work of Frederick Douglass on his chosen birthday, February 14th. With other teams around the world, we work to transcribe documents and preserve Black history for future generations.
The original celebrations of Douglass Day helped give rise to Black History Month and is the reason it is in February. This year marks the ninth year that Northeastern has participated in Douglass Day, following the revival by the Colored Conventions Project (CCP) in 2017. The CCP, a flagship project of the Center for Black Digital Research at Penn State University, aims to “bring the buried history of nineteenth-century Black organizing to life” through partnerships, transcription projects, archival research, and digital exhibits.
This year participants had two task options: either selecting the “transcribe” or “find the names” workflow. The transcription task focused on typing out the text from various historical records of the Colored Conventions with special attention to any unclear language, deletions, or insertions. In addition to our usual transcription work, this year’s event also introduced another task focused on restoring the names of everyday people in the historical record, bracketing their names in the records. Our work toward this task aimed to help the project compile a more complete list and better recognize the work of Black women who fought for Black freedom and civil rights in the Colored Conventions. Keep a look out for posted results on the Colored Conventions Project’s website and join us next year for another transcribe-a-thon celebration!
