On Thursday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m., the Peabody Institute Library is proud to host an event, sponsored by Mass Humanities, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Frederick Douglass speaking at the Peabody Institute Library.
Douglass spoke to an audience in the PIL Lyceum (what is now the second and third floors of our historic building) on Dec. 16, 1873. The Peabody Press reported that when the doors to the lyceum opened, “every available chair in the building was pressed into service and the platform furnished seats for a few more… both aisles and the gallery were overflowing also.”
We seek to remember his legacy, and how his work affected those in attendance back in 1873 through to the current day, by hosting a community reading of Douglass’s most famous work, “What to a Slave is the 4th of July”, accompanied by a lecture and discussion of Douglass’s legacy in the North Shore by Salem State Professor Jamie Wilson and Tufts University historian Gabby Womack.
We are inviting members of our community to engage in this program by reading a portion of Douglass’s work. Please contact Cate Merlin or Gabi Toth at the library if you’re interested in reading with us.
If you would like to attend but not read, please simply register on our calendar at https://peabodylibrary.
This event is sponsored by Mass Humanities, and will include refreshments at 6 p.m., followed by the community reading and discussion at 7 p.m.
