Each year, the Eastern Shore’s Talbot County unites to celebrate the life and legacy of Frederick Douglass, whose abolitionist writings and speeches swept the nation and cemented his position in American history. On Saturday, September 27th, the town of Easton will host Frederick Douglass Day, an annual tradition that brings Douglass’s legacy to life through music, ceremony, and educational events. The event, organized by the Frederick Douglass Honor Society (FDHS), serves as a reminder of the inseparable ties between Douglass and his birthplace of Talbot County, as well as the continued importance of carrying on his message of equality.
Douglass was born into slavery in February 1818 on a plantation near Easton. The plantation, now known as the Wye House, still stands today, and the nearby communities of Unionville and Copperville are largely occupied by the descendants of people who were enslaved at the plantation. In his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass wrote at length about the brutal conditions he endured on the plantation; he then recounted how he was moved to Baltimore to serve the Auld family.
It was in Baltimore that Douglass initially learned to read and write, at first under the instruction of Sophia Auld. These lessons ceased once Sophia and her husband Hugh determined that literacy would encourage Douglass to seek freedom, but he secretly continued his own education with some assistance from local white children. He stressed the importance of literacy throughout his life and career, believing it to be the key that allowed him to fully realize the brutality of slavery and the need for abolition.
After 20 years enslaved, Douglass escaped to New York in September 1838 with the assistance of Anna Murray, a free Black woman who would soon become his wife. The pair moved to Massachusetts, where Douglass became a licensed preacher and began delivering sermons and public speeches; he published his autobiography in 1845, which became a nationwide bestseller and called attention to the burgeoning abolitionist movement. Later in his life, he also became a leader in the movement for women’s suffrage, and additionally led a recruitment drive to enlist African American soldiers for the Civil War. After a long and storied career, Douglass passed away in Washington, D.C. in February of 1895.
In 2011, the first Frederick Douglass Day, then known as “Douglass Returns,” was held to celebrate the unveiling of a brand-new statue of Douglass on the lawn of the Talbot County Courthouse, where Douglass himself gave several speeches during his lifetime. The Frederick Douglass Honor Society had been hard at work the past several years raising funds for the statue and working with local elected officials and community leaders to secure its location at the courthouse. Following this success, Frederick Douglass Day became an annual celebration, even continuing virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s Frederick Douglass Day will again bring together the Talbot County community as well as visitors from far and wide. The day’s events will kick off at 10 a.m. with FDHS leading a parade from Glenwood Avenue to the Talbot County Courthouse on Washington Street. Participants will include the Easton High School NJROTC Color Guard, local charity organization Building African American Minds(BAAM), mascots from the local Waterfowl Festival, the Easton and Oxford fire departments, local school bands and bagpipes.
Once at the front lawn of the courthouse, a Welcome Ceremony will include an invocation from a new minister at Union Baptist Church, Minister Javion Jones, who is just 15 years old! After a presentation of colors by the NJROTC, Washington College fellow Darius Johnson will recite a speech originally delivered by Douglass and other community leaders will honor the abolitionist as well.
At the Talbot Free Library, there will be a Children’s Village on the lawn and exhibits inside about Douglass and his family, including artifacts personally owned by Douglass. Author Nicholas Buccola will give a lecture on how Frederick Douglass regarded himself an heir to the American revolutionaries.
For music and food, the intersection of Dover and West streets will be home to the Entertainment Stage and a marketplace with local food vendors and nonprofits. The annual Frederick Douglass Day honors Douglass’s legacy, but also brings together the community. For more information on the Sept. 27 event, visit the Frederick Douglass Honor Society online.
