• Exact location: Mural site at the Unitarian Church Cork

• Event to celebrate the new Frederick Douglass mural in collaboration with Cork City Council, Douglass descendants, the #DouglassWeek team and many more.

• Exact times: 7:00pm doors, 7:30pm start of show

• Tickets: £12 | PURCHASE HERE

• A special evening of performances and readings celebrating the famed American abolitionist and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. The show will feature Douglass family members and other #DouglassWeek 2024 participants alongside local musicians, dancers and community leaders. Performances will be led by the creative team of Belfast singer/songwriter Sarah McCreedy and Broadway artists and actors Paul Oakley Stovall (Hamilton) and Nikhil Saboo (Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen) performing their own original songs exploring Frederick Douglass's travels throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland in 1845-46 as well as songs from the Broadway-bound musical American Prophet. Other performers include Siobhan Brown/Soultrane, Cork-based spoken word artist Raphael Olympio with Cliff Masheti and Mark Mavambu and many more!

• All ticket proceeds support the women-led US nonprofit, The Globe Lane Initiative, dedicated to promoting history and cultural exchange inspired by the legacy and example of Frederick Douglass and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of history while promoting a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

• An interactive creative workshop on queer utopias as a response to rising hate crime, lead by Dónal Tabbot, (Ulster University MFA Photography student).

• Exact location: Belfast School of Art Shop at Ulster University

• Free event but REGISTRATION REQUIRED, 10 spaces available

• Tickets: Register for free HERE

• Come join us for a thought-provoking and engaging workshop where we will explore the concept of queer utopias. Led by Dónal Tabbot, an MFA Photography student (Ulster University), this interactive workshop offers a creative exploration of queer utopian visions as a powerful response to the troubling rise in hate crimes. This workshop is a unique opportunity to contribute to constructive dialogue and creative expression within our community. Attendance is free, but registration is required due to limited availability—secure your spot now, as only 10 spaces are available. Don't miss this chance to be part of a transformative experience and the opportunity to connect with others to explore new ideas together. Let's imagine and envision a world where queerness thrives and inclusivity is the norm.

• In collaboration with Martin Murray (Sporting Pride) and members of the #DouglassWeek team

• Exact times: 11:00am-1:30pm

• 11:00AM: Rounders match at Ormeau Park, Belfast

• 12:15PM: Walk from Ormeau Park to 2 Royal Avenue, taking in many Douglass-related sights on the way!

  1:00PM: #DouglassWeek cake & cupcakes at 2 Royal Avenue to close out the morning, meet & greet, photo opportunity

• Meeting point: Ormeau Park (on the green next to the Ozone Indoor Tennis Centre)

• We invite attendees to meet us on the green next to the Ozone Indoor Tennis Centre In Ormeau Park. There is limited free parking at this location. Here, attendees can join in on training with the worlds first LGBTQ+ Inclusive Rounders team. Rounders is believed to have been the inspiration for the sport American Baseball!

• This is the groups 2nd training session, so beginners are very welcome!

• At 12pm we will finish the training session and begin our walk. The walk is about a 45 minute walk from Ormeau park to 2 Royal Avenue!

• Exact time: 7:00-8:00pm GMT/2:00-3:00pm EST

• Watch here: (LINK TO BE ADDED SOON)

• Black Cultural Archives Learning and Engagement Manager Dr Ayshah Johnston in conversation with the #DouglassWeek team.

• Learn more about the Black Cultural Archives HERE

• Learn more about Dr Ayshah Johnston HERE

• Exact time: 6:00-7:00pm GMT/1:00-2:00pm EST

• Join us for a conversation about the motivations and inspiration for the sculptors of the Frederick Douglass statue in Belfast, unveiled in July of 2023, Alan Beattie Herriot and Hector Guest, who will be talking with members of the #DouglassWeek team.

• Exact time: 5:00-6:00pm GMT/12:00-1:00pm EST

• Join us for a conversation between Prof Ezra Greenspan (Southern Methodist University) and Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan (Indiana University-Perdue University-Indianapolis) about Greenspan’s research and forthcoming book The Bailey Family.

• Learn more about the Douglass Paper Project HERE

• Learn more about Prof Ezra Greenspan HERE

• Learn more about Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan HERE

• Exact time: 3:00-4:00pm GMT/10:00-11:00am EST

• Join us for a conversation between Prof Danjuma Gibson (Calvin Theological Seminary), Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan (Indiana University-Perdue University-Indianapolis) and Heather L. Kaufman (Institute of American Thought at IUPUI).

• Learn more about Prof Jack Kaufman-McKivigan HERE

• Learn more about Prof Danjuma Gibson HERE

• Learn more about Heather L. Kaufman HERE

• Exact time: 1:00-2:00pm GMT/7:00-8:00am EST

• Learn more about Joanna Dukkipati and Good Day Cork HERE

• Join us for a conversation with Joanna Dukkipati, Founder of Good Day Cork and Co-Founder of Think-Speak-Do Community Events, who talks to Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter from the #DouglassWeek team about her motivations, her work with Good Day Cork and her approach to empowering and connecting people.

This event will be postponed, and we will make an announcement soon to let you know about the new date/time for this event.

Voices for Hope: A Conversation on Black Global Solidarity

• Exact time: 10:00-11:00pm GMT/ 5:00-6:00pm EST

• Exact location: Hybrid event - University of Rochester/QUB

• WATCH LIVE: (LINK TO BE ADDED SOON)

• Featuring University of Rochester (UoR) PhD student Micah Williams in conversation with colleagues from UoR and Jamie-Lukas Campbell, Queen’s University Belfast

• What does it mean to be Black, and how far does its parameters reach? Is the mantle of Blackness enough to share solidarity with one another? If so (or if not), how does that affect our history and our liberation? We will have a candid conversation on retaining and championing one’s values and culture in a nation that is multitudinous, yet homogenizing. Through this, the discussion will also include reflections on how we as individuals operate on American/euro-centric soil to how we connect together as a whole while acknowledging space, distance, culture and nationality.

• Talk by Takura Donald Makoni, who is Zimbabwean, born in Leeds and raised in Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Botswana. He is currently the Policy Officer at the African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI).

• Much of the western world associates African heritage with slavery, perceived as an issue of the past. This talk explores beyond the confines of slavery, looking at broader themes such as colonialism, imperialism and the global balance of power. It recognises that not all individuals of African heritage necessarily have a direct connection to slavery but that many of those peoples share a historical link to colonialism, a mindset that goes hand in hand with slavery.

• Learn more about ACSONI on their website

• Learn more about The James Connolly Visitor Centre on their website

Film Screening of Glory (1989), introduced by Dr Brian Kelly (QUB)

• Tickets and more information can soon be found on the QFT website

• Learn more about Glory HERE

• Learn more about Dr Brian Kelly HERE

• Exact location: Hybrid event: 2 Royal Avenue and online

• WATCH LIVE: (LINK TO BE ADDED SOON)

• While Frederick Douglass himself did not directly address LGBTQIA+ rights, his legacy of fighting for justice, equality and human rights for marginalized communities aligns with the broader principles of inclusivity and social justice. Many contemporary activists and scholars draw connections between Douglass's work and the ongoing struggles for LGBTQIA+ rights, recognizing the importance of intersectionality in fighting for the rights of all marginalized communities. Douglass's emphasis on the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, his commitment to challenging oppressive systems and his belief in the power of solidarity and collective action will guide and inspire this panel when participants, both in-person and virtually, delve into critical topics surrounding LGBTQIA+ rights, intersectional justice and social inclusion. The panel features voices from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including Martin Murray from Sporting Pride, Kieran Higgins from Ulster University, Cllr Micky Murray and Cllr Séamas de Faoite from Belfast City Council, Susanna Speed, Sr. Director, Diversity, Equity & Belonging at Trillium Health Rochester and co-organizer of Pride Rochester, and Terence Pleasant, Director of Community Prevention Services and co-organizer of Pride Rochester, NY, as well as MA student on Racial issues and Migration law at University College Dublin and co-host of Hush Dialogues, Paula Martinez. The panel will explore the effects of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation across the US, Ireland and Northern Ireland, delve into the housing, economic and mental health needs of LGBTQIA+ communities and discuss strategies for supporting LGBTQIA+ youth.

  Join us as we tackle pressing questions such as fostering empathy across diverse communities, addressing challenges in housing and mental health and advocating for inclusive sports participation. Together, we'll navigate the complex landscape of identity politics and work towards a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

• Meeting point: Starting point is outside the Imperial Hotel, Cork

• Free tickets: Register HERE

• The Cork Abolitionists Trail was developed by the Globe Lane Initiative/#DouglassWeek team, and the walking tour will be led by Globe Lane Initiative Board Member Dr Adrian Mulligan

• The Cork Abolitionists Trail (CAT) is a legacy project of #DouglassWeek and was launched in 2021. It continues to be developed by The Globe Lane Initiative and our partners at Cork City Council. The trail illuminates some of the key locations where the former slave and American abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered public lectures during his 1845 visit to the city. It also provides an insight into the rich history and geography of Corkonian abolitionism which would prove so consequential to achieving emancipation in the United States especially. While Frederick Douglass was the best-known abolitionist to visit Cork, he was part of a tradition involving many other abolitionists who made the journey before and after him. The Cork Abolitionists Trail, part of the Journeys for Freedom Project, highlights locations visited by these extraordinary women and men and amplifies their stories and those of the Irish people and organisations that inspired them.

• We are grateful to our partners at Cork City Council and the Imperial Hotel for their support.

• Read more about our Cork Abolitionists Trail on our website.

• FREE tickets: Register HERE

• A talk by Dr Mary O’Rawe, Senior Law Lecturer (Ulster University) and Barrister

• Frederick Douglass ‘prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.’ This talk is a meditation on how new scientific understandings from ecologically-entangled, interrelational neurobiology give fresh legs to ancient wisdom traditions, signposting how mindfully-embodied visceral exploration of autonomic processes could be key to the co-production of safety, freedom and evolving consciousness

• NOTE: School event, not open to the public

• North Star is a large scale creative arts event, commissioned as part of Belfast's year of culture throughout 2024, focusing on renowned abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his visit to Belfast in 1845. The project has been working with four schools across the city to create written pieces that reflect on Belfast as their home. This workshop sees a select number of students from each school come together for an immersive performance workshop with actors Paul Oakley Stovall and Nikhil Saboo, who will guide the students in how to translate their written works from the page to the stage.

• Schools involved: Blessed Trinity College, Lagan College, Ashfield Girls School, St Colm's School

• Learn more about the North Star project HERE

• Exact location: Screen 2, Queen’s Film Theatre (QFT), 20 University Square, BT7 1PA Belfast

• FREE ticket: BOOK HERE

• A free screening of 3rd Strike Entertainment's filmed monologue featuring the words of Frederick Douglass, followed by a conversation with filmmakers Keith and Paul Hoult

• In 1845 Frederick Douglass, who seven years earlier had escaped slavery in Maryland, wrote his first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, at his new home in Lynn, Massachusetts. Frederick Douglass - My Path to Freedom is a monologue where Frederick (portrayed by actor Devanie Lothian) narrates his story using his own words and recalls key scenes in his young life that helped shape the man he became.

• More information on the QFT website

• Learn more about the film project and 3rd Strike Entertainment, UK, HERE

• In conversation with Mass Humanities Fellows educational storyteller Desiree Taylor (M.Ed., M.A.) and historian Professor Anne F. Mattina (Ph.D), Stonehill College (MA) 

• With a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Mass Humanities created research fellowships to synthesize research on the life of Frederick Douglass in Massachusetts and on the origins of the shared reading tradition of Frederick Douglass’s influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. As a part of their work to advance new ideas about historical texts and engage neighbors in meaningful conversations about what it means to be a free and equitable society, the two fellows will present their findings about his connections and influences on cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

• Discussion and reflection between Globe Lane Initiative Board members Douglass descendant Kenneth B. Morris, Jr. (great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass, Co-Founder and President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI)) and Douglass family historian and writer, Professor Celeste-Marie Bernier (Professor of United States and Atlantic Studies and Personal Chair in English Literature at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland).

• This is the fourth Douglass Dialogues conversation in a series featuring Douglass descendants responding to facts and stories revealed through Bernier’s extensive research into the lives of the Douglass family. Bernier’s tireless work has led to astonishing revelations about the “freedom fighting collective” that was - and is - the Douglass family. Anna Murray Douglass was the central and unifying figure and an equal partner to her husband, and their five extraordinary children shared the work that their descendants continue today. Join us for a moving and revealing conversation about these revolutionary figures and their lives dedicated to social justice activism, political radicalism and equal human rights.

• Tickets: £5 | PURCHASE HERE

• More information on the Linen Hall Library website

• Learn more about Prof Celeste-Marie Bernier HERE

• Learn more about Kenneth B. Morris, Jr. on his website

• HYBRID EVENT!!

• Exact location: North Wing Council Room

• Organized and hosted by University College Cork Race Equality Network

  Talk by guest speaker Prof Doris Jones from the Department of Rhetoric and Composition at the American University in Cairo (AUC).

• Exact location: University College Cork (room to be announced soon)

• Panelists include Prof Doris Jones (Department of Rhetoric and Composition, AUC), Dr Piaras MacEinri (Geography, University College Cork) and Dr Amanullah De Sondy (Studies of Religion, University College Cork) and Dr Philomena Mullen (Sociology, Trinity College Dublin).

• Featuring speakers Dr Ashok Malhotra (QUB) and Dr Kieran Connell (QUB), Dr Colleta Dalikeni (Dundalk Institute of Technology), writer and playwright Nandi Jola, Kwame Daniels (Bounce Culture) and others. 

• Delving into the pressing need for decolonization within educational frameworks across Ireland and Northern Ireland, this event will unite scholars, educators and community members to explore diverse strategies and initiatives aimed at dismantling colonial legacies in different educational systems. Through dialogue and shared insights, the panel will examine the current state of curricular structures, assess actionable steps for meaningful transformation and foster collaborative pathways toward sustainable change. Join us and engage with critical perspectives and contribute to shaping an inclusive and equitable educational landscape for future generations.

• Author Jan Carson will read from her latest short story collection (April 2024) and poet, storyteller and playwright Nandi Jola will talk about her decolonisation of museums journey, followed by a conversation between the two artists and a Q&A session.

• Learn more about Nandi Jola HERE

• Learn more about Jan Carson HERE

• Meeting point: The Salmon of Knowledge (The Big Fish), Donegall Quay, Lagan River bank (postcode BT1 3NG Belfast). This is by the Lagan Weir footbridge and behind the Customs House

• The tour will take approx. 2.5 hours

• With Dr Tom Thorpe and Mark Doherty (Co-Founders)

• "Fugitive Slave" Frederick Douglass visited Belfast in the 1840s to gather support for his campaign to abolish slavery in the USA. He spoke at around 12 locations in and around Belfast, causing a huge sensation. His presence had a significant impact on the city, helping to unite its divided Protestants, Catholics, Unionists and Nationalists around the abolitionist campaign. The Anti-Slavery Belfast Tour explores Douglass and his visits, as well as Belfast's connections to the transatlantic slave trade from the 17th century. It highlights how its citizens became integral to the abolitionist movement in the British Isles, ultimately contributing to the end of slavery in the British Empire and the wider world.

• Tickets: £25 | PURCHASE HERE

• Learn more about Anti Slavery Tours Belfast HERE

• Double feature: Black, Northern Irish and Proud and The Rise of Hip-Hop in Northern Ireland

• Tickets: PURCHASE HERE

• Learn more about Black, Northern Irish and Proud (2022) HERE

• Learn more about The Rise of Hip-Hop in Northern Ireland (2023) HERE

• More information can soon be found on the QFT website

• Join us for this very special event, the first ever Reading Frederick Douglass Together event in Northern Ireland and in the UK!

• Following a reading of Douglass’s speeches and letters, a panel discussion will feature international visitors and local collaborators.

• Since 2009, Mass Humanities has organized and funded free public events where communities in Massachusetts gather together to read and talk about Frederick Douglass’ influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. This panel discussion will feature Paula Elliott (Co-Organizer for the Boston Common Reading), Cedric Arno (longtime director, Worcester Reading Frederick Douglass Together), Dr Michelle Toni McCombs (Springfield Reading Frederick Douglass Together) and Dr Latoya Bosworth (Programme Officer, Mass Humanities Reading Frederick Douglass Together grant programme) who will share insights on the history of the readings, the significance of the programme and future aspirations for the programme as it continues to grow.

• Learn more about Mass Humanities and Reading Frederick Douglass Together:

  • Mass Humanities website

  • Reading Frederick Douglass Together

• Participants: Daz Chandler, Lux Eterna, Edwin Montgomery, Dr Safdar Ahmed and Warren Armstrong from The Parallel Effect, Aboriginal Land, Australia

• Join us for the opening of “Relics From Other Realms” – a paradigm-shifting pop-up exhibition running for 4-days only (Monday, 15th of April-Thursday, 18th of April). 

• The opening night will feature a live panel and premiere performance of a new musical work inspired by Frederick Douglass.

• Live Panel Discussion: The Power of Parallels featuring the imaginations of speakers Daz Chandler, Lux Eterna, Safdar Ahmed and Warren Armstrong

• To celebrate the opening of ‘Relics From Other Realms’, The Parallel Effect will present a dynamic live panel exploring the impact parallel worlding can have on the profound crises of our times. This question forms the premise of creative interventions undertaken by an expanding collective of artists and interdisciplinary thinkers committed to democratic collaborations across borders (disciplinary, practice, modal, temporal and geographical) to respond to the crises of today by reimagining alternatives to the “present” we are living. Unlike other ‘futuring’ projects which extrapolate forward from “today”, much of our parallel reality speculation stems from identifying critical moments in our diverse pasts –informed by research which seeks to engage in historical dialogue between disparate institutional and community archives– to reimagine how things might be different. As we do so, we seek to develop a praxis of sustainable knowledge - paying tribute to, acting in solidarity with, and citing the intellectual, social, cultural, scientific and organisational labour of local and international communities and actors past and present which inspire our parallel realities.

• Premiere Performance of New Musical Work by Edwin Montgomery

• Join us for a premiere performance of a new musical work inspired by the writings and lived experiences of Douglass. Written and performed by The Parallel Effect's multi-instrumentalist Edwin Montgomery, this layered sonic work will premiere at the opening of 'Relics From Other Realms' on Monday, 15th April.

• Exhibition: Relics From Other Realms (Monday, 15th of April-Thursday, 18th of April):

• Join us for this paradigm shifting exhibition and revisit and pay tribute to many pivotal moments and actors from our own realities while experiencing different truths and outcomes that occurred in parallel worlds. The mixed media show is composed of a collection of curiosities and artefacts: some shared across dimensions, others marking alternatively climatic, political, institutional, technological, natural and social evolutions. Each of them designed to empower participants to engage with forgotten and significant histories and reframe what is possible. The objects on display come in all shapes, sizes and forms and hail from all over this realm and the next. From audio recorded inside a kitchen in a refugee camp in occupied Palestine; to a sea-worn petrol cap from a dimension that’s done away with fossil fuels; to a trippy UN funded animated film about dinosaurs and climate change featuring the music of Frank Zappa; to a vinyl record from a world where Donald Trump is a beat poet; to objects, letters and other artefacts from a world where Frederick Douglass succeeded in creating his own socialist republic; through to a 130,000 year old Ngarrindjeri Dreaming story about sustainability; this exhibition has it all. ‘Relics From Other Realms’ is a free, pop-up exhibition designed for communities with an interest in histories, social justice, climate change and fairer and democratic futures for all.

• Learn more about The Parallel Effect Collective HERE

• Exact location: In the Courtyard room, Riddel Hall, Queen’s University, 185 Stranmillis Road, BT9 5EE

• Featuring panelists including Andy George, President of the UK National Black Police Association, Jesee Karanga, Vice President of the National Black Police Association, Mohamed Idriss, business owner in Belfast, Henri Mohamed, social worker in Belfast and others.

• Discussant: Dr Gift Sotonye-Frank, QUB

• How do we know the past? Through whose eyes? Are there other pasts that might be recovered? Pasts that feature significant individuals who fought for social reform? Pasts that might unsettle what we think we know? Pasts that might potentially unify rather than divide? Pasts that feature hidden interconnections to others around the world? Pasts that might provide guidance, precedence and inspiration for social reform in the present?  

• This half-day symposium brings together community members and activists, international academics, archivists, museum curators and others to tackle some of these important questions and to join each other for a dynamic exchange of ideas and perspectives. The symposium aims to unravel the multifaceted legacy of Douglass within the Irish context, shedding light on his experiences in Northern Ireland in particular and detailing the profound impact he continues to have on work towards social justice and equality around the world. The symposium highlights the vital contributions not just of abolitionists, but of other activists including Mary Ann McCracken, Winifred Carney, Isabel Jennings and others, alongside contemporary champions of civil and human rights. Discussions and dialogue will deepen our understanding of Northern Ireland’s global connections and the rich contributions of immigrants to society, while celebrating its rich history of activism and solidarity, 180 years after Douglass’s journey.

• Confirmed speakers include: Dr Margaret Ward (Clifton House), Dr Sean Napier (1798 walking tours in Belfast), Stephen Scarth (PRONI), Dr Maurice Casey (QUB), Dr Tom Thorpe and Mark Doherty (Anti Slavery Tours Belfast), Mimi Unamoyo (Bomoko NI), Israel Eguaogie (Diverse Youth NI), Dr Hannah-Rose Murray (Queen Mary University, London), Beverly Simpson and Dominic Nartey (NW Migrants Forum) and many more.

• FREE TICKETS: REGISTER HERE

• Exact location: Foyer of the Belfast School of Art building of Ulster University

• Exhibition:

• Exhibition curated by Dr Clare Gallagher, Ulster University, Co-Director BA (Hons) Photography, Belfast School of Art

• This group exhibition features new work around marginalized voices, examining diverse communities and issues connected by Belfast

• Artists include:

• Emma Campbell, Array Collective

• Laura O’Connor, Array Collective

• Alessia Cargnelli, Array Collective

• Sarah Tehan, Ulster University PhD researcher

• Aidan O’Neill, Ulster University PhD researcher

• Jolene Mairs-Dyer (Shankill Women’s Group project), Ulster University, Lecturer in Screen Production

• A Culture of Hope (Cormac McArt’s project with refugees), Westcourt Centre

• It Won’t Always Be Like This, Sarah Kay & Brendan Harkin

• Panel discussion:

• The event will bring together a panel of artists to discuss the ideas and challenges surrounding the portrayal of marginalized voices, examining diverse communities and issues connected by Belfast. The panel will also discuss the role of museums, galleries and other institutions in fighting racism and promoting education on issues such as identity, discrimination and racial bias through art. The discussion will also focus on the role of cultural institutions in raising awareness about implicit biases in curation and the world of art. Led by Dr Emma Campbell, the panelists will explore the challenges of representing the complexities of present-day changemakers, as well as historical ones such as Douglass and their legacies in a way that is both accurate and engaging for a modern audience. Panelists will also address key themes of the exhibition and the responsibility of cultural institutions to engage with the community and provide an inclusive space that promotes learning and social change.