Douglass Day is an annual program that marks the birth of Frederick Douglass. Each year,  thousands of people help create new & freely available resources for learning about Black history. The focus is frequently on important Black women’s archives, such as Anna Julia Cooper (2020), Mary Church Terrell (2021), and this year Mary Ann Shadd Cary.

Mary Ann Shadd Cary was a teacher, newspaper editor, Civil War recruiter, lawyer, and so much more. Transcribe Shadd Cary will be a brand new crowdsourcing project presented by the Douglass Day Team, supporters and sponsors. It will feature the papers left by Shadd Cary and her networks from Archives of Ontario, Library and Archives Canada, and other newly digitized archives from her life in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.

NHFPL Stetson Branch and the bldg fund are partnering to bring this collective action for Black history to New Haven! Douglass Day 2023 will be held at the NHFPL Stetson Branch on February 14th from 12-3PM. The New Haven program will have music, light refreshments, and a livestream of the Douglass Day featuring speakers and activities honoring Black history and the contributions of Mary Ann Shadd Cary.

Learn more about Douglass Day here and contact NHFPL Stetson Branch for any questions regarding the New Haven program.