We believe Frederick Douglass’ words belong in public spaces. Every year we provide grants to support readings of his influential address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?, in town squares, community centers, churches, museums, libraries, parks, and more.
Organizations interested in hosting an event can propose any format for the reading and discussion that will foster a rich and productive community conversation. Mass Humanities is proud to support these organizations as they host Reading Frederick Douglass Together events across the commonwealth in 2025.
Saturday, June 7
Grantee: Afrimerican Culture Initiative
Location: Hyde Park
Time: TBD
Sunday, June 8
Grantee: Castle of Our Skins
Location: Roxbury
Time: 3:00 pm (Pre-event begins at 2:15 pm)
Tuesday, June 10
Grantee: Lowell Community Charter Public School
Location: The Luna Theater, Lowell Community Charter Public School
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Wednesday, June 11
Grantee: 413 Elite Foundation
Location: Zoom
Time: 6:00 pm
Thursday, June 12
Grantee: Maverick Landing Community Services
Location: Lombardi Memorial Park, East Boston
Time: 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Friday, June 13
Grantee: Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr. Resource Center
Location: Springfield
Time: 4:00 pm
Saturday, June 14
Grantee: New Beginnings Reentry Services
Location: Bruce Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury, MA 02119
Time: 2:30 pm
Tuesday, June 17
Grantee: Holbrook Public Library
Location: Holbrook
Time: TBD
Wednesday, June 18
Grantee: City of Salem
Location: Downtown Salem
Time: TBD
Thursday, June 19
Grantee: The Black Response
Location: Cambridge Common, Intersection of Waterhouse Street & Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Time: 12:30 – 4:00 pm
Grantee: Brookline for the Culture
Location: Brookline
Time: TBD
Grantee: Cape Anne Museum
Location: Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA, 01930
Time: 9:30 am
Grantee: Medway Marches Incorporated
Location: Medway Community Farm 50 Winthrop Street, Medway MA 02053
Time: 2:00 pm
Grantee: Natick Historical Society
Location: Natick Common, 12 S Main St, Natick, MA 01760
Time: 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Grantee: Rotary Club of Westborough
Location: Bay State Green, Westborough
Time: 6:15 pm
Grantee: Wellfleet Preservation Hall
Location: Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 335 Main St, Wellfleet, MA 02667
Time: 6:00 pm
Saturday, June 21
Grantee: Historic Beverly
Location: Hale Farm, 39 Hale St, Beverly, MA 01915
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 am
Sunday, June 22
Grantee: Jamaica Plain Historical Society
Location:
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Grantee: Historic Newton
Location:527 Washington St, Newton, MA, United States, Massachusetts
Time: 2:00 pm
Wednesday, June 25
Grantee: Somerville Museum
Location: Trum Field,
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Thursday, June 26
Grantee: The Globe Lane Initiative/Douglass Week
Location: TBD
Time: 2:30 pm
Friday, June 27
Grantee: NAACP Worcester
Location: Worcester Common
Time: 12:00 pm
Host: Mass Humanities, Museum of African American History, and Community Change
Location: Boston Common
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Saturday, June 28
Grantee: African American Association of Brockton
Location: TBD
Time: TBD
Grantee: Bristol Black Collective
Location: Kennedy Park, 145-199 Bradford Ave, Fall River, MA 02721
Time: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sunday, June 29
Grantee: Community Coalition for Change
Location: Brockton
Time: 2:00 pm
Tuesday, July 1
Grantee: Bristol Community College Foundation
Location: Bristol Community College, New Bedford Campus, Fifth Floor Library, 800 Purchase Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
Time: 4:00 -6:00 pm
Wednesday, July 2
Grantee: Town of Swampscott & S.U.R.E. Diversity
Location: Swampscott Town Hall, 22 Monument Ave, Swampscott, MA 01907
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Thursday, July 3
Grantee: North Shore Juneteenth Association
Location: Frederick Douglass Park in Lynn; 1-15 Exchange Street.
Time: 11:00 am
Friday, July 4
Grantee: Plainfield Reads
Location: Alden Pavilion, behind Shaw Memorial Library (312 Main Street, Plainfield)
Time: 10:00 am
Grantee: Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services
Location: Downtown Springfield, at Court Square, before the fireworks display in the evening.
Time: 6:00 pm
Grantee: Old Parish Preservation Volunteers
Location: 480 Washington St rear, Norwood, MA 02062
Time: 2:00 pm
Grantee: YWCA Southeastern Massachusetts
Location: New Bedford
Time: 3:00 pm
Grantee: Friends of the 1836 Meeting House
Location: North Andover Town Common
Time: 11:00 am
Saturday, July 5
Grantee: Unitarian Universalist Society of Grafton and Upton
Location: Grafton Common, Grafton, MA 01519
Time: 6:00 pm
Grantee: South Congregational Church
Location: 1066 South East Street, Amherst, MA 01002
Time: 3:00 pm
Grantee: Historic Northampton
Location: Grounds of Historic Northampton, 46 Bridge Street, Northampton, MA
Time: 11:00 am
Grantee: Wakullah Street Community Garden
Location: 19 Wakullah St, Roxbury, MA 02119
Time: 2:00 pm
Grantee: Sharon Historical Society
Location: 16 High Street, Sharon, MA, United States, MA 02067
Time: 4:00 pm
Sunday, July 6
Grantee: Historical Society of Old Newbury
Location: 98 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Time: 10:00 am
Wednesday, July 9
Grantee: St. Stephens Youth Programs
Location: 419 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA 02118
Time: 3:00 pm
Grantee: Egleston Square Neighborhood Association & Robert G. Lawson Park Friends Group
Location: Jamaica Plain
Time: 5:00 pm
Friday, July 11
Grantee: Indian Orchard Citizens Council and Take the Mic Speaking Program
Location: Loon Pond, 419 Pasco Road, Springfield, MA 01119
Time: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm
Saturday, July 19
Grantee: Suffolk University
Location: Boston Public Library, Roxbury Branch, 149 Dudley St, Roxbury, MA 02119
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Saturday, July 26
Grantee: Center for Peace through Culture
Location: 137 Front Street, Housatonic, MA 01236
Time: TBD
Wednesday, July 30
Grantee: Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation
Location: Porter-Phelps-Huntington House Museum, 130 River Drive, Hadley, MA 01035
Time: 6:00 pm
