Celebrate Frederick Douglass's Birthday with Free Programs and a Behind-the-Scenes Look at One of America's Civil Rights Heroes

Date: February 10, 2016
Contact: Emily Linroth, 202-619-7156

Join the National Park Service and community partners for a host of inspiring free programs this weekend to celebrate the 198th Birthday of Frederick Douglass and honor his legacy in historic Anacostia.

The theme of this year’s annual birthday celebration is “Visiting Cedar Hill, Visiting National Parks,” which will explore the stories of people who visited Douglass at his home at Cedar Hill and what it was like to travel in the Victorian Era. Programs will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at stories and objects from Douglass’ life that are not included in standard house tours. Tours will focus on Douglass’ travels, how the Douglasses entertained at Cedar Hill, and rooms where guests stayed when they visited from places outside of Washington, D.C. Programs will also highlight traveling to national parks and will look at how the NPS helps preserve and tell stories about African American history around the United States. 

 

The celebration will also feature a house party at the Anacostia Arts Center, a walking tour of Anacostia, book signings, children’s activities and a variety of talks. The opening ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 13 at 10:15 a.m. and will feature music by the Washington Revels, the winners of the Douglass Oratorical Contest giving their award winning speeches, and a keynote speech by Dr. John Stauffer, who co-authored the book “Picturing Frederick Douglass: An Illustrated Biography of the Nineteenth Century’s Most Photographed American.” 

 

All programs are free and are open to the public and take place Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13. Details, times and locations are available at go.nps.gov/frdobday or by contacting the park at [phone]. The park will also operate a free shuttle between program locations on Saturday, February 13.