Douglass Day is an annual celebration of the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass. It is held on Valentine’s Day, his chosen birthday, as he had no record of his actual birthday. Originally, Douglass Day was a day of remembrance, to honor his many contributions to American history. This year’s event marks the 10th anniversary of the much more interactive Douglass Day Transcribe-a-Thon, where volunteers from around the country transcribe digitized Black history collections, making them accessible and searchable, as well as expanding representation within the historical record. The 2026 theme is the Colored Conventions, which was a series of meetings held in the 1830’s-1890’s that gave a platform for Black Americans to discuss emancipation, voting rights, education, and other important issues both before and after the Civil War.
On Friday February 13th, Ms. Rettig and Ms. Parsi hosted a Douglass Day Transcribe-a-Thon at Ohrstrom Library. A small but mighty group of SPS volunteers transcribed over 30 documents, including meeting minutes, by-laws, and correspondence relating to the Colored Conventions. All participants left with a feeling of satisfaction at their small part in preserving an important piece of history. If you weren’t able to come to our program, the Transcribe-a-Thon will remain open until all documents have been transcribed, so click HERE to get started!
Interested in learning more about Frederick Douglass or the Colored Conventions? Check out our reading list below!
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