NewsSubscribe

To commemorate Black History Month and the birthday of social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman Frederick Douglass, the College of Humanities & Fine Arts (HFA) will host a Reading Frederick Douglass Together event on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. in the South College Atrium. 

The event is part of the Mass Humanities Reading Frederick Douglass Together grant program, which invites communities to host free, public readings and discussions of Douglass’s influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” UMass Amherst students, faculty, and staff will be invited to read passages from the address out loud and discuss its significance.  

While readings have typically taken between Juneteenth and Fourth of July, this year, Mass Humanities encouraged organizations to host events during February in celebration of both Black History Month and the observance of Frederick Douglass’s birthday on Feb. 14.  

“It's so wonderful to be able to host a reading together to raise people’s awareness about this speech and discuss its connection to slavery and independence in our country,” says Cara Takakjian, HFA associate dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and senior lecturer, undergraduate program director, and chief undergraduate advisor for Italian Studies. “This event will give us an opportunity to come together to better understand the history of race and racism in this country through the words of Frederick Douglass. I think it's especially meaningful for us to be having this conversation in our current climate, as a reminder of our nation's history and its continuing impact on Black people and communities.” 

Students, faculty, and staff who are interested in being part of the reading can submit their name and email address via this form and be entered to win a gift certificate to the campus store.  

Each year, Mass Humanities partners with the Community Change, Inc. of Boston, the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School, and the Museum of African American History to host a reading on Boston Common. Held near the monument to the 54th Regiment, the event attracts state legislators, students, and members of the public who take turns reading the speech.  

Since 2019, Mass Humanities has also held an annual reading in Northampton, where residents gathered in the park outside the organization’s headquarters.  

To learn more about Mass Humanities, visit https://masshumanities.org/.