"Frederick Douglass and the Massachusetts 54th: Community Day at Camp Meigs" event at the Meigs Field site in Hyde Park, Boston

Time: 11:00 AM-3:00 PM

Location: Camp Meigs Memorial Park, 11 Stanbro St, Boston, MA 02136 (Hyde Park)

Participants:

• Nettie Washington Douglass, Chair Emerita, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington

• Nicole Morris, 4x great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and 3x great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

• Representative Rob Consalvo

• Regie Gibson, Inaugural Poet Laureate of Massachusetts

• 54th Massachusetts reenactors

• Hyde Park community leaders

• Representatives from Mass Humanities

• Representatives from the Consul General of Ireland in Boston

Description: This opening event of #DouglassWeek 2025 will honor Frederick Douglass, his sons Lewis and Charles, and their Civil War service. At this event, three generations of the Douglass family will be together at the Camp Meigs site, the place where their ancestor Charles Remond Douglass began his Civil War service and where he trained alongside his brother Lewis Henry Douglass. Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson, Mass Humanities, Hyde Park community leaders, and others will help commemorate the connection between the Douglass family and Camp Meigs.

Camp Meigs, and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment and the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry, play a significant part in the Douglass family’s history in the Commonwealth. Frederick Douglass saw the Civil War as a fight over slavery and encouraged President Lincoln to recruit Black men to the Union Army. Two of Douglass’ three sons, Lewis Henry Douglass and Charles Remond Douglass, were recruited into the Union Army by their father, trained at Camp Meigs, and served in the 54th (with Charles eventually transferring to the 5th Cavalry). Due to illness, Charles was not able to deploy in the field with the 54th and so remained on site in garrison at Camp Meigs for 11 months in 1863-64. The members of the Douglass family who will participate in the September 28th event are descended from Charles Douglass.

The event program will include remarks and a wreath laying with members of the Douglass family at the 54th Massachusetts memorial and a "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" opportunity:

• Remarks, remembrances and a wreath laying at the 54th Massachusetts memorial in the park with the Douglass family, elected officials, community leaders, MA Poet Laureate Regie Gibson, and the 54th Massachusetts reenactors

• "Reading Frederick Douglass Together" event, in partnership with Mass Humanities. Members of the community will have an opportunity to join the Douglass family and others to read excerpts from Douglass’ 1864 “The Mission of the War” Civil War speech and from letters between Frederick and Charles Douglass while Charles was at Camp Meigs for 11 months in 1863-64. Participants will also be invited to record a reflection on the experience. (Generously supported by a 2025 Reading Frederick Douglass Together grant from our partner Mass Humanities)

NOTE: We hope that many members of the Hyde Park community will join us for this historic event. This will be an historic occasion, with three generations of the Douglass family gathered in a very important place to honor their family history in Massachusetts and Boston.

Douglass Dialogues Conversation “Frederick Douglass: A Life in American History” (conversation) 

• Time: 11:00 AM EASTERN

• Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

• Participants:

  • Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis) 

  • Prof Mark Christian (City University of New York)

• Description: This program brings together two leading scholars of Frederick Douglass for a wide-ranging conversation about new research and evolving perspectives on his life and legacy. Professor Mark Christian, author of Frederick Douglass: A Life in American History (Bloomsbury, 2025), will discuss his forthcoming book and, in dialogue with Professor Jack Kaufman-McKivigan, explore fresh insights into Douglass’s activism, writings and historical impact. Together they will reflect on Douglass as a global thinker, a strategist of freedom and a figure whose relevance has not diminished with time. This discussion offers audiences a rare opportunity to hear directly from scholars whose work continues to shape how Douglass is studied and remembered in both academic and public life.

“Lunch Reception and Proclamation at the State House Boston” with elected Officials and #DouglassWeek team and partners, Frederick Douglass Family representatives and Douglass family descendants.

Hosted by Massachusetts State Representative Rob Consalvo.

• Time: Lunch time (to be announced) EASTERN

• Location: State House Boston

• NOTE: INVITE ONLY

• Participants:

  • Representative Rob Consalvo and other elected Officials

  • Nettie Washington Douglass, Chair Emerita, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

  • Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington

  • Nicole Morris (Les Miserables), 4x great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and 3x great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

  • Regie Gibson (Inaugural Poet Laureate of Massachusetts)

  • Members of the #DouglassWeek team

Time: 

• 5:15 PM-6:15 PM Meet & Greet and light refreshments

• Show runtime 6:30 PM-8:00 PM

Location: African Meeting House, Museum of African American History Boston, 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114

Participants:

• Nettie Washington Douglass, Chair Emerita, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington

• Nicole Morris (Les Miserables), 4x great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass and 3x great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington

• Regie Gibson (Inaugural Poet Laureate of Massachusetts)

• Dr J. Jacques Carter (Harvard University)

• Dr Noelle Trent (President & CEO of the Museum of African American History | Boston & Nantucket)

• Paul Oakley Stovall (Hamilton)

• Nikhil Saboo (Dear Evan Hansen)

• Elected officials

Description: This performance evening celebrates the life and legacy of American abolitionist and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass and his family through live performances and readings. Program and participants evolve each year with the location of #DouglassWeek, but each event honors the history of Douglass and other changemakers through art and community. The event brings together Douglass family members, artists, scholars and local community voices for a vibrant tribute of music, spoken word, and storytelling. It often features original compositions inspired by Douglass’ writings, legacy and global travels, including his time in Ireland (1845–46), alongside selections from related works like the Broadway-bound Douglass musical American Prophet, which ran at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage in the summer of 2022. Each event showcases the talents of local artists, performers, community leaders and officials to tell the story and celebrate the inspiration of the Douglass family in that #DouglassWeek host city. 

Registration required, pay what you can, suggested donations $10

Time: 11:00 AM-12:30 PM EASTERN

Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

Participants:

• Prof August H. Nimtz 

• Prof Kyle A. Edwards

• Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan (Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis)

Description: This conversation brings together leading scholars to explore how Karl Marx and Frederick Douglass understood and responded to the American Civil War in real time. Drawing on their book The Communist and the Revolutionary Liberal in the Second American Revolution: Comparing Karl Marx and Frederick Douglass in Real-Time (Brill, 2024), Professors August H. Nimtz and Kyle A. Edwards join Professor Jack Kaufman-McKivigan, editor of the Frederick Douglass Papers, for a thought-provoking dialogue on political philosophy, revolutionary change and the global significance of Douglass’s voice.

Time: 6:00 PM-7:30 PM EASTERN

Location: Lynn Museum & Arts Center, 590 Washington Street Lynn, MA 01901

Participants:

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington

• Tom Dalton, historian and author of Frederick Douglass: The Lynn Years

• Moderator: Doneeca Thurston-Chavez, Director of the Lynn Museum and Arts Center

Description: Join us for a dynamic conversation exploring Frederick Douglass’s deep connections to Lynn and the broader Douglass family’s legacy in Massachusetts. This event brings together descendants, historians and artists to reflect on Douglass’s years in Lynn, the role the city played in shaping his activism and the continued relevance of his work today. The discussion will also touch on Douglass’s 1845 journey to Ireland and its lasting impact.

NOTE: 

• Admission: Lynn Museum Members free;  $5 donation others (all proceeds benefit the Museum)

• Registration required via the Lynn Museum website)

• Event followed by a Meet and Greet/Reception

Time: 11:00 AM-12:00 PM EASTERN

Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

Participants:

• Joseph McGill, Founder and CEO of The Slave Dwelling Project

• Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter, President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team 

• Kristin Leary, Vice President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team

Description: In this Douglass Dialogues Conversation, #DouglasWeek team members will interview Joe McGill to discuss The Slave Dwelling Project. We will learn more about how the project works to preserve the buildings and artifacts of African heritage, thereby honoring the contributions of all people and ensuring a more truthful and inclusive American history which is acknowledged by all. McGill will share how he works with his team to preserve slave dwellings, promote education and engage people in honest conversations about slavery and its legacies.

“Decolonizing the Curriculum: Frederick Douglass and the Future of Education”(panel discussion) 

Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM 

Location: Commonwealth Salon, Boston Public Library McKim Building, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116

Participants:

• Tiffany Daniel, Beyond Walls 

• Katie O'Hare Gibson, Mass IDEAS (Initiatives for Developing Equity & Achievement for Students) Instructor and Lexington Public Schools Administrator

• Claudia A. Foxtree, Mass IDEAS

• Dr De'Shawn Washington, fourth grade teacher at Maria Hastings Elementary School, Lexington, MA and 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year

• Kevin Dua, Humanities Teacher & Instructional Coach, Phoenix Charter Academy

• Moderator: Dr LaToya Bosworth (Mass Humanities)

Description: Frederick Douglass said, "It is easier to build strong children than it is to repair broken men." Please join community leaders and educators, including representatives from Mass Humanities, Beyond Walls, Mass IDEAS, Phoenix Charter Academy, and 2024 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Dr De'Shawn Washington, to explore strategies and initiatives to dismantle colonial legacies in our educational systems. In this far-ranging conversation, panelists will share critical perspectives on shaping an inclusive and equitable educational landscape for future generations and ask the question: “To teach or not to teach Frederick Douglass in 2025."

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EASTERN

Location: African Meeting House, Museum of African American History Boston, 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114

Participants:

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., Globe Lane Initiative Board Member and President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, Douglass descendant

• Dr Anne Mattina, Mass Humanities fellow

• Moderators: Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter, President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team and Kristin Leary, Vice President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team

Description: This event brings together Douglass descendants and scholars to reflect on the family’s deep and lasting connections to and influence on Massachusetts. From Frederick Douglass’s years in Lynn and Boston to the generations who have carried forward his vision of justice, the Commonwealth has long been a place where Douglass history and community activism intersect. By linking past and present, the dialogue will explore how the Douglass legacy continues to inspire civic engagement and cultural memory in New England, the family’s ongoing commitment to education and activism and the role of local institutions in carrying this history forward. 

NOTE: Open to the public/with partner invitation and participation

Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM EASTERN

Location: Various sites in New Bedford (see description below)

Participants:

• This event is hosted by our partners Mass Humanities with partners the New Bedford Historical Society and others. 

• The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team members

• Douglass family descendants

Description: Explore the place where Frederick Douglass lived for five years, where his first three children were born, and where he earned his first paid wages as a free man. This full-day experience hosted by our partners and friends at Mass Humanities will begin with a bus pick-up from Boston to New Bedford. The New Bedford Historical Society and partners will provide guided tours and experiences to the Nathan and Mary Johnson House, the first home of Anna and Frederick Douglass; Abolition Row, murals, museums, and more. Lunch will include a presentation from author and historian Tim Walker, and afternoon snacks will be provided. You are also welcome to meet us in New Bedford on your own!

See the complete list of places you will visit here.

NOTE: 

• Spaces are limited for this curated event. Registration is required (link to go live on August 25th)

• This is a walking tour; we recommend layers and comfortable shoes.

• The tour starts at New Bedford Historical Society (21 7th Street #3 New Bedford, MA 02740), feel free to join us and meet the group in New Bedford if you can’t join the bus ride

Registration: Please register using THIS link.

Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EASTERN

Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

Participants:

• Dr Hannah-Rose Murray, University of Suffolk

• Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter, President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team 

• Kristin Leary, Vice President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team 

Description: Moses Roper was an abolitionist, social justice activist, freedom fighter, husband, father and a survivor of U.S. enslavement. Born in 1815 in North Carolina, he liberated himself after at least twenty attempts to find freedom, and briefly settled in New York and Boston in 1834. Faced with the threat of re-enslavement and assassination, he moved to England and travelled for several years around Britain and Ireland to lecture against enslavement and racism. His bold and fierce denunciations of white supremacy, oppression and even white abolitionists who threatened to damage his reputation are courageous examples of how Black freedom fighters were forced to fight daily battles to survive. This talk, led by Dr. Hannah-Rose Murray, will focus on Roper's life, his experiences in Britain, his life after the U.S. Civil War which is rarely documented, his tragic death in Boston and how and why he has been forgotten. The talk will also raise awareness of Roper's burial, an act of injustice which so far remains uncorrected, and The Globe Lane Initiative's desire to memorialize his life in the place where he now rests.

Time: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM EASTERN

Location: To be announced 

Participants:

• Prof Mary C. Murphy, Director of the Irish Institute and Faculty of Political Science, Boston College

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., President, Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington

• Others to be confirmed

Description: This panel celebrates the 180th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’s transformative journey from Boston to Ireland in 1845. Departing Boston Harbor on August 6 and arriving in Dublin on August 31, Douglass’s visit was a defining chapter in his life and in the history of international abolitionism. Panelists will explore the significance of Douglass’s time in Ireland, the connections between Boston and Dublin then and now, and the lessons his travels hold for today’s conversations on freedom, justice and solidarity across borders. The event will also highlight the enduring cultural and political ties between Ireland and Boston, underscoring how Douglass’s legacy continues to resonate in both places.

Time: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM EASTERN

Location: African Meeting House, Museum of African American History Boston, 46 Joy St, Boston, MA 02114

Participants:

• Latisha Jones, playwright (Washington, DC)

• Dr David J. Harris (Managing Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice and a lecturer at Harvard Law School and Chair of the Massachusetts Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights)

• Dr LaToya Bosworth (Mass Humanities)

Description: Among other topics, this panel discussion addresses the evolving role of cultural institutions, museums, artists, art collectives, communities and others in the fight against racism and in promoting education on critical issues like identity, discrimination and racial bias. Panelists reflect on how exhibitions, creative installations, mural projects and others can uncover and address implicit bias within curation and the broader art world.

Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EASTERN

Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

Participants:

• Dr Hannah-Rose Murray (University of Suffolk)

• Prof Celeste-Marie Bernier (University of Edinburgh)

• Kenneth B. Morris, Jr. (Great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass)

Description: In this fifth iteration of our Douglass Dialogues conversation about the Douglass family, Douglass descendant Kenneth B. Morris, Jr. (great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass, Co-Founder and President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI)), Douglass family historian and writer, Professor Celeste-Marie Bernier (Professor of United States and Atlantic Studies in Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland) and Dr Hannah-Rose Murray (University of Suffolk) will discuss facts and stories revealed through Bernier’s extensive research into the lives of the Douglass family, specifically Anna Murray Douglass, who was the central and unifying figure, an equal partner to her husband and their five extraordinary children.

Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM EASTERN

Location: ONLINE (link available on our website closer to the event)

Participants:

• Latisha Jones, playwright, actress, arts administrator (Washington, DC)

• Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter, President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team

• Kristin Leary, Vice President of The Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team

Description: This conversation with playwright Latisha Jones explores her new work “The Rescue Trial”, a play that brings to life the story of Rosetta Douglass—daughter of Frederick Douglass—and Boston abolitionist Lewis Hayden during the turbulent years of the Fugitive Slave Act. Jones will discuss her inspiration, creative process and the historical research that shaped the play as well as broader themes of justice, power and legacy. Together with the #DouglassWeek team she will reflect on the play’s contemporary resonance and the ways art can illuminate connections between past and present struggles for freedom.