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Frederick Douglass, 19th Century Civil Rights Activist: His Legacy Today
  • Date: Thursday, October 18, 2018 - Friday, October 19, 2018
  • Time: 11:00 pm
  • Location: William G. McGowan Theater, Washington, DC

Join us for a panel discussion in honor of the bicentennial of the birth of Frederick Douglass. The panel will explore Douglass’s legacy as well as contemporary issues related to his causes. Moderated by John Whittington Franklin, senior manager, Office of External Affairs, NMAAHC, Smithsonian Institution, panelists include David Blight, professor of history, Yale University; Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, ASALH president and chair, History Department, Harvard University; and Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., co-founder and president, Frederick Douglass Family Initiative.

Frederick Douglass himself (portrayed by Phil Darius Wallace) will also appear. Book signings of the bicentennial edition of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave and Blight’s book Frederick Douglass will follow the discussion.

Presented in partnership with the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

All public programs at the National Archives are free and streamed live online via the National Archives’ YouTube channel. Reservations are recommended; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The doors to the building will open 45 minutes prior to the start of the program. Use the Special Events entrance on the corner of Constitution Avenue and 7th Street, NW. Click here for more information on getting to the National Archives and parking.

Live captioning will be available online and in the William G. McGowan Theater. If you require an alternative or additional accommodation for an event (such as a downloadable transcript or a sign language interpreter), please send an email to public.program@nara.gov or call 202.357.5000 in advance.