Amplify POC Cape Cod and the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum invite the public to a powerful community reading and discussion of Frederick Douglass’s landmark 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” The event will take place on Sunday, June 28 at 1:00 PM in the museum courtyard.
Supported in part by a Mass Humanities grant funded by the Mass Cultural Council, Reading Frederick Douglass Together brings community members together to engage deeply with one of the most important speeches in American history.
This free public event will feature more than 40 volunteer readers representing diverse voices from across Cape Cod. Immediately following the reading, participants are invited to continue the conversation during a facilitated discussion inside the museum. Seating for the discussion is limited, and reservations are encouraged and can be made at JFKHyannisMuseum.org/events.
Frederick Douglass’s life and work remain profoundly relevant today. A formerly enslaved man who escaped to New Bedford in 1838, Douglass became one of the most powerful voices of his time—speaking frequently on Cape Cod and the Islands as he rose to national prominence. His words challenge us still, urging reflection on the enduring contradictions between America’s ideals and its history.
For more information about the Reading Frederick Douglass Together initiative, visit:
https://masshumanities.org/active-grants/reading-frederick-douglass-together/