On April 2, the Hopkinton Historical Society received a $2,000 “Reading Frederick Douglass Together” grant of Mass Humanities funding from the Mass Cultural Council.
The Hopkinton Freedom Team and the Historical Society will present “Reading Frederick Douglass Together on the Hopkinton Town Common,” Saturday, May 18, 2024 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 pm, rain or shine. The Hopkinton Center for the Arts will add this event to their “Artful Conversation Series” – a series of art events presented through a social justice lens. Volunteer readers representing citizens young and old, from all corners of town, will share Douglass’ words. The event will also include music, discussion and other surprises, and all are welcome to attend.
Each year, Mass Humanities organizes and funds free public events for communities to gather together to read and talk about Frederick Douglass’s influential address “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
“The life and works of Frederick Douglass continue to shape our understanding of America. A gifted orator and prescient writer, Douglass forces us to reckon with the legacy of slavery and the promises of democracy,” said Anne Mattina, Vice President at the Hopkinton Historical Society.
Ms. Mattina has devoted considerable research to the subject of Frederick Douglass and his connection to Hopkinton. On January 15, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, Mattina published an extensive essay, along with artifacts, that received accolades from several HopNews readers.
>> ESSAY: Frederick Douglass and the Hopkinton Antislavery Society
“The support from Mass Humanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council provides us with an opportunity to commemorate the enduring legacy of one of Hopkinton’s most notable visitors and to explore what his powerful words mean to the community nearly two centuries later,” said Mattina.
Those interested in volunteering for the event may contact Ms. Mattina at hissochopma@gmail.com.
