Welcome to Douglass Day 2025!
Watch on YouTube
Transcribe at the Library of Congress
Happy Douglass Day!
On Valentine’s Day 2025, we are throwing a birthday party for Frederick Douglass. All are invited!
Although Douglass never knew his birth date, he chose to celebrate every year on February 14th. We mark this day with a collective action that serves & celebrates Black history.
This year we are celebrating with a new project to transcribe the archives at the Library of Congress!
Transcribe at the Library of Congress
- Quick Start Guide to Transcribing
- Need more help?
- Ask on Bluesky with #DouglassDay
- Post on the History Hub.
Social Media
Resources
Learn More
Schedule – February 14 from 12-3 PM (EST)
The live streamed program will be on our YouTube channel.
Live broadcast – 12:00 to 12:30pm
- Welcome & introductions
- Sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (lyrics)
- Overview for the Douglass Day program
- Speakers & More
Transcribing – 12:30 to 1:00pm
- Time for transcribing, readings, discussions, etc.
- During this time, we’ll leave the live stream running, but will go silent.
- Try our Spotify playlist!
Live broadcast – 1:00 to 1:30pm
- Sing “Happy birthday”
- A dramatic reading of “Why Hold a Colored Convention?” by Hassan El-Amin
Transcribing – 1:30 to 2:00pm
- Time for transcribing, readings, discussions, etc.
- During this time, we’ll leave the live stream running, but will go silent.
- Try our Spotify playlist!
Live broadcast – 2:00 to 2:25pm
- An interview on the history of Black libraries & archives with Dr. Janet L. Sims-Wood
- Teaching with Douglass Day – New Offerings
Transcribing – 2:25 to 2:45pm
- Time for transcribing, readings, discussions, etc.
- During this time, we’ll leave the live stream running, but will go silent.
- Try our Spotify playlist!
Live broadcast – 2:45 to 3:00pm
- Highlights from social media
- Bake Off Prizes
- Closing Reflections
Great Douglass Day Bake Off
We can’t always share cakes in person, but we can still share them online! Make your best cakes & desserts and post them on Bluesky or Instagram using #DouglassDay. You’ll be entered into the GDDBO contest. (Don’t use social media? Enter by sending a photo to us by email at douglassdayorg@gmail.com).
Acknowledgements
Douglass Day 2025 is presented by
- The Center for Black Digital Research (DigBlk) at The Pennsylvania State University, along with the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts and the Penn State University Libraries
Major thanks to By the People, Library of Congress!
And special thanks to all of our event organizers, collaborators, and fellow transcribers!
Follow us on social media
- Bluesky @DouglassDay.bsky.social
- Instagram @DouglassDayorg
- YouTube Douglass Day