Reading Frederick Douglass Together

NATICK, MA—The Eliot Church, Bacon Free Library and Natick Historical Society are co-sponsoring “Reading Frederick Douglass Together” on Sunday, July 9, at 5 p.m. on the grounds of the Bacon Free Library at 58 Eliot Street, Natick (Eliot Church Sanctuary, 45 Eliot St., in case of rain).

The event, which is free, invites participants to bring a picnic dinner to enjoy on the grounds and to continue the discussion after the reading, according to the announcement.

Mass Humanities coordinates annual public readings of Frederick Douglass’ famous Fourth of July address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” with communities and organizations around the state. People take turns reading parts of the speech until they have read all of it, said the release. A wide spectrum of civic, cultural, and service organizations each commit to staging their own readings and collaborate with Mass Humanities to put on the event.

“We are proud to participate,” stated Aaron Dougherty, executive director of the Natick Historical Society in a statement. “American history is almost inextricably bound up with the subject of race, and continued discussion on race relations requires historical context. Douglass’s famous address is a reminder that although race relations in the United States have improved since the 19th century, the work is not yet over and the conversation continues.”

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