Wayside Inn Has Ties To Frederick Douglass July 4 Slavery Speech

SUDBURY, MA — Two major figures of the 19th Century will reunite on Saturday at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury.

On Saturday morning, local residents will gather to read Frederick Douglass' 1852 address "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" — a reflection on the annual celebration of American independence and freedom that, for decades, coincided with the enslavement of millions.

Readings of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" typically happen across the nation each year around July 4, but the reading this weekend in Sudbury will be unique.

The Wayside Inn is named after poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who was writing alongside Douglass in the mid-19th Century. Douglass quotes Longfellow's "A Psalm Of Life" in his July 4 address; and Longfellow's 1860 poem "Paul Revere’s Ride" was partly inspired by a Douglass speech, according to the Wayside Inn Foundation.

The reading of Douglass' address begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Wayside Inn. The reading will be followed by a breakfast and a discussion of the address and its meaning. As of Wednesday, there were still several slots available to take part in the reading. Sign up here.