Frederick Douglass Day PopUp

Join our team in collaboration with the Library of Congress and #DigBlack Center for Black Digital Research and the Digital Culture and Design program at CCU to celebrate Douglass Day (February 14).

During our pop-up, we will have a series of prompts in the form of letters, so you can communicate with Douglass about your experience transcribing his papers or tell him about the state of our country.

About the Main Event
Take part in preserving American Black history by helping us transcribe and digitize the Frederick Douglass Papers: General Correspondence, 1841-1912 collection in the archives of the Library of Congress. This rich collection ranges from public letters to intimate family moments and sheds light on the life of storied abolitionist and Black rights activist, Frederick Douglass.

Event Details

Date:
February 14, 2024 2:00 pm

Duration:
2 hours (drop in)

Virtual

Location:
Alford Ballroom, Coastal Carolina University

No Registration Required.

Stories from this Collection

I enjoyed this experience very much. I enjoyed meeting people and other writers and being able to hear their stories. This is a great opportunity to cold write and get something done off the cuff and, in many ways, has helped me reconnect to writing.

Rob McManus
I appreciate the freedom of expression, the community, the sharing, and the encouragement the Communal Pen offers. It goes beyond just the individual writing or putting things down on paper… it allows you to be inventive and to see things in a different way.

Janice Johnson
The facilitators really cared about what everyone had to say. They really cared, and I feel like that was unique. They give everyone space to share their stories from our community. The black culture is so strong in tying stories together and handing things down over the generations, and I am excited that this workshop seems to share that goal. Connecting to a community that wants to listen to stories and share them like that is powerful.

Patricia
I love folklore, and sharing stories of people’s families. The family stories that may or may not have been embellished over the years… it made me think back on my family stories. Hearing the stories of other attendees made me realize that we have such a rich history of folklore and stories in South Carolina. Listening to the stories gave you a wonderful front porch feeling. It was immediately so comfortable and welcoming.

Eden
No matter what the topic is, the Communal Pen makes you go deeper and share the stories that inspire you. I loved going a little deeper with the other writers, then going deeper into what people see and think. There are no barriers to stop us from expressing ourselves. I learned how to relax and tell my stories to the people in my community.

Sandy