This year, the national Douglass Day Transcribe-a-thon will focus on papers from The Colored Conventions Project – and in particular, on uncovering the contributions of women in these conventions. From 1830 to the 1890s, tens of thousands of Black men and women gathered in political meetings called “colored conventions” to organize and strategize for racial justice. By transcribing minutes, letters, journalism, pamphlets, and other documents from these gatherings, we make them available for digital searching, analysis, and further research.

How Do I Get Involved?

No experience needed. Drop in at the Library, choose a document to transcribe, and get help when you need it. Explore previous generations’ activism for racial justice, and enjoy camaraderie with others from Cornell.Listen to musical performances and speakers on the national livestream.Leave with a birthday cupcake from Rashida Sawyer Bakery of downtown Ithaca.Bring your own laptop, or use one of ours.What’s Douglass Day?

Born enslaved, Frederick Douglass emancipated himself at the age twenty and quickly became one of the preeminent intellectuals and activists of the nineteenth century. Although he never knew his birthdate, he chose to celebrate every year on February 14th.

Together with libraries and digital scholarship centers around the country, we celebrate this date as a moment for creating and preserving Black history together.