Every year, the National Park Service hosts an oratorical contest in the auditorium at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. All students ages 6 to 18 (grades 1-12) are welcome to participate. The goal of the contest is for students to experience the same transformative power of language that Frederick Douglass experienced as a young man by performing a part of a Douglass speech that they learn from memory before a panel of judges. This contest is open to students of all abilities. ASL interpreters or interpreters to translate ASL to English will be provided. We welcome students from across the country to apply! This year’s contest will be held November 18 - 22, 2025, with some students participating on-line and some in-person at the Frederick Douglass NHS Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. The first-place winners will be invited to perform their award-winning speeches at our annual Frederick Douglass Birthday event in Washington, D.C. in February 2026 or to present their speech at a program at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in July 2026. In addition, winners are awarded plaques and other prizes. Winners of the 2024 Oratorical Contest
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Last updated: August 20, 2025