Reading Frederick Douglass Together

On Saturday, July 3, at 10:00 am, the Marion Art Center will present Reading Frederick Douglass Together, a public reading of Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in Bicentennial Park, located at 1 Spring Street in Marion. Bicentennial Park is located directly across the street from the MAC, at the corner of Main and Spring Streets in Marion. Guests should bring their own chairs or picnic blanket to the event and should arrive about ten minutes early to find a seat in the park. The presentation of this public reading is a statewide initiative coordinated by Mass Humanities, a generous sponsor of this free community event.

            A diverse group of orators will present an abridged version of the speech, including additional remarks, and the reading will run about 45 minutes. There will be a Q&A to follow – all guests are invited to join this informal discussion. The entire program should last about an hour. A paper version of the speech, along with a list of community conversation starters, will be available to guests immediately following the reading. The Marion Art Center will also provide coffee and tea at the event.

            Program scholar Dr. Moise St Louis, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of the Frederick Douglass Unity House at and Interim Associate Vice Chancellor at UMass Dartmouth, will give remarks and help lead an informal group discussion at the event. The FDUH is “an intercultural center that empowers and transforms the student experience, through activities and initiatives designed to challenge, foster, and enrich the cultural life of the UMassD community. Unity House places a particular emphasis on providing a supportive environment for the academic, cultural, recreational, and social pursuits of UMassD’s ALANA students –African/Black, Latin@/Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American/Indigenous – and social justice allies.” Dr. St Louis holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Politics/International Relations as well as the following degrees: B.A. in Social Thought and Political Economy, B.A. in Afro-American Studies, a B.A. in Political Science, and M.A. in Comparative Politics.

            Reading Frederick Douglass together is presented by the MAC in partnership with Tri-Town Against Racism, a local grassroots organization whose mission is “to intentionally create an anti-racist environment for our citizens. In doing so, we seek to target systemic, institutional, and structural racism within the towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester.”

            Reading Frederick Douglass Together is free and open to the public. Additional resources can be found at masshumanities.org/programs/douglass/douglass-resources. Please contact the MAC with questions by emailing info@marionartcenter.org or by calling 508-748-1266.

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