Douglass Day

Douglass (Frederick) Day

February 14

Frederick Douglass Day in the United States is celebrated on February 14, the date traditionally believed to have been Douglass's birthday. Born into slavery in 1818 in Maryland, he escaped to freedom in 1838 and eventually made his home in New Bedford, Mass., where he became active in the international abolitionist movement. After the Civil War he served in the U.S. government as a marshal in the District of Columbia and as a minister to the Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Each year Douglass's birthday is commemorated with a ceremony at his former home, Cedar Hill, which is now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C. The event, which attracts about 300 people, features speakers on human rights, recitations of excerpts from Douglass's speeches, tours of the home, music performances, and a wreath-laying ceremony. In addition, activities including lectures, readings from his works, and film presentations about his life are also planned in New Bedford, in Rochester, N.Y., where Douglass's grave is located, and in many other locations throughout the country.

CONTACTS:
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
1411 W St. S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20020
202-426-5961
www.nps.gov/frdo/index.htm
New Bedford Friends Meeting House
83 Spring St.
New Bedford, MA 02740-5934
508-979-8828

SOURCES:
AAH-2007, p. 170
(c)

Celebration day: Feb 14