CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Deadline: February 14th, 2024

We cordially invite you to participate in #DouglassWeek2024! Join us in celebrating Frederick Douglass and other change makers.

“I can truly say I have spent some of the happiest moments of my life since landing in this country. I seem to have undergone a transformation. I live a new life.”
– Frederick Douglass, letter from Belfast, 1846

GET INVOLVED: We hope you will consider joining us for #DouglassWeek 2024! We welcome your ideas, creativity and unique perspective and invite you to suggest a program or event or organize and host an event or project. It can be as big or as small as you would like it to be! Show us how YOU are inspired by Frederick Douglass or other change makers!

WHAT WE DO: Each year, we invite responses to the story of Douglass and other change makers through historical, creative, academic, cultural and other lenses to relate the influence of history on contemporary topics and conversations. We provide a platform for participants from around the world to use historical resources, cultural programming and community outreach to highlight Douglass’s enduring contributions and continue his work for freedom, equality, liberation and justice. #DouglassWeek connects people with a shared interest and passion for Frederick Douglass, but also offers a platform for people to discuss contemporary issues related to his life and legacy: racism and racial justice, human and civil rights activism, social activism, refugee crises, American-Irish relations, creative forms of commemoration, and other related topics that remain relevant in the 21st century. We are thrilled to work with a wide network of scholars, artists, musicians, poets, community groups, elected officials, activists and others, and we hope you will consider joining this group!

Below we have compiled some ideas for events or projects, but feel free to be as creative as you like and suggest anything you think would be a great addition to the event series!

We welcome your ideas and invite you to respond to Douglass’s work and words by organizing and hosting an event or project in your location. Individuals as well as schools, universities, clubs, libraries and any other interested community members and groups are cordially invited to participate in #DouglassWeek in order to showcase the continued importance and relevance of Frederick Douglass and other change makers.

Participants could, for example, organize one of the following projects or suggest their own ideas:

  • Use our #DouglassWeek lesson plan and host an educational project around Douglass and themes related to his life and legacy: abolitionism; Black history; global struggles for freedom; historical links between Ireland and the US, racial justice, modern day slavery, human rights

  • Facilitate an open day in a venue where Douglass lectured

    (An open day is a day on which members of the public are encouraged to visit a particular place, school, university, or other institution to see what it is like).

  • Initiate a (virtual) cultural exchange day or project between schools, or dedicate a lesson to Frederick Douglass.

    You could use our #DouglassWeek lesson plan and use it for an exchange project!

  • Organize a reading, talk or conversation with a community member or prominent figure in your town

  • Facilitate/Perform a dance or music event responding to Douglass’s life or related to any of the topics relevant to his life, work or legacy

  • Host a panel with educators and academic experts and/or creative thinkers

  • Virtual/in-person walking tours of your town, highlighting where Douglass spoke or showcasing other anti-racist, racial awareness projects in your community

  • Offer an art workshop or other creative event about any of the topics relevant to #DouglassWeek, Frederick Douglass, local changemakers or others

  • Host a trivia or quiz night about Douglass or related topics

  • Design or install a commemorative plaque or statue in your city or county or state, dedicated to Douglass or other abolitionists who visited Ireland

  • Host a poetry reading, a poetry slam or a virtual concert featuring performances of songs and poems that were written to welcome Douglass to Ireland. Or if you are inspired, write a poem and perform or read it during #DouglassWeek

  • Arrange a book swap with Douglass's Narrative or other important books that reflect on challenges that we as a society are or should confront

  • Create a small (or big) pop-up exhibition about Douglass or related topics

You might be interested in organizing other events, and we are more than happy to assist you in developing your unique and exciting ideas and are looking forward to hearing from you!

If you have any questions or would like to discuss things with us, please contact us at info@douglassweek.org.

Please submit your idea by filling out the #DW Project Submission by the 14th of February, 2024.

We look forward to hearing from you!