For almost two decades, Mass Humanities has supported organizations looking to bring people together to read a famous Frederick Douglass speech called “What to the Slave is the 4th of July?”
Local Readings
This year, the nonprofit will support 76 such readings — the most ever. One was held Friday at Boston’s Museum of African American History.
America’s 250th anniversary has helped drive demand higher, but of late, retelling the darker parts of America’s history — like slavery — is sometimes unwelcomed.
Earlier this year, a Trump administration executive order instructed National Parks Service officials to remove exhibits dealing with slavery. When challenged in court, however, officials have had to reinstall exhibits.
Dr. Latoya Bosworth, an official at Mass Humanities, manages the grant program for Reading Frederick Douglass. When she encounters resistance to hearing Douglass’ 1852 speech, she asks people to be as brave as the people who sat and listened to the speech the day after Independence Day 174 years ago.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
