Principles

1. Douglass Day seeks to promote collective actions and a day of love for Black history. We endeavor to create communal spaces for remembering and preserving Black history with Black communities. Our celebrations will offer opportunities for critical reflection and for joy.
2. Douglass Day will create, enrich, or engage deeply with new collections of Black history every year. Any results of Douglass Day will be made freely and openly accessible.
3. Along with digital opportunities, Douglass Day will always provide complementary resources for reading and teaching activities. We will not make access to computers a condition for participating in Douglass Day.
4. Douglass Day seeks to follow in the footsteps of Mary Church Terrell, Carter G. Woodson, and many others in their commitments to Black life, community, and social justice. We discourage any celebrations of Black history that do not engage with Black communities.
5. Local event organizers will commit to fostering an inclusive space on Douglass Day. This commitment includes following the steps in the outreach guide to ensure that any relevant Black student, staff, and community organizations are invited as collaborators and participants. 

Genealogies and Incubation

Douglass Day grew out of the Colored Conventions Project in 2017, and the CCP remains a vital partner, supporter, and sporadic collaborating project.

These principles are inspired by the statement of the Colored Conventions Project, which in turn builds on the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing. We honor and thank all of these leaders, organizers, and models. They have made our work possible. See coloredconventions.org and www.ejnet.org.