One of New Bedford's greatest men: Frederick Douglass Read-a-Thon slated for Feb. 4

NEW BEDFORD — Join the New Bedford Historical Society for its 21st annual Frederick Douglass Read-a-Thon, to celebrate the life and legacy of one of New Bedford’s great men.

'The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An, American Slave Written by Himself' will be read from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 4, at the First Unitarian Church, 71 8th St., New Bedford. This is the first autobiography of Frederick Douglass written in 1845.

The annual Read-a-thon is a celebration of the historical connection between the people of New Bedford and the young Frederick Douglass. Douglass found his way to New Bedford through the Underground Railroad as a 20-year-old freedom seeker in the fall of 1838. He earned his first paid wages as a free man gathering and putting away coal for the minister of the First Unitarian Church, Ephraim Peabody. Douglass cast his first vote as a free man in elections in the city.

Douglass and his wife, Anna Murray Douglass were city residents for 5 years, during which time they began their married life and started their family. New Bedford provided freedom and a stimulating environment of ideas that allowed Douglass to develop his skills as an abolitionist and civil rights activist to work for the end of slavery in the U.S.

This event is being held in celebration of Black History Month. It honors Douglass as a New Bedford resident, one of the great men of the 19th century, and an early advocate for African American civil rights and the human rights of women and Native peoples. The chairperson for this year's event is Carl Cruz.

Members of the New Bedford community are invited to join the event as readers in honoring the legacy of Douglass. Refreshments will be available. For additional information or to be a reader, contact the Society at (508) 979-8828 or info@historicalsociety.org.

In addition to the reading, there will be a celebration of the birthday of Douglass on Feb. 14 with gifts of the Douglass statue maquette to the Frederick Douglass Academy at Alma del Mar school and to the New Bedford Free Public Library. The New Bedford Historical Society commissioned the statue for the newly designated Abolition Row Historic District and Abolition Row Park.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: The 21st Annual Frederick Douglass Read-a-Thon to be held on Feb.4