Historic Newton, in collaboration with Newton Cultural Development, will host a free community reading of Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 speech — What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? — on Sunday, July 13, at 2PM at the Jackson Homestead and Museum (527 Washington Street, Newton).
Guests are encouraged to RSVP online to help Historic Newton plan for the event. Guests can bring a picnic blanket, lawn chairs, and snacks to enjoy on the back lawn of the homestead while listening to friends and neighbors read the speech.
After the speech, guests can participate in a community discussion, do a related craft activity, and visit the museum for free to further explore abolition in the 19th-century.
This is part of a state-wide event, called Reading Frederick Douglass Together.
The event will take place rain or shine and is open to all ages. In case of inclement weather, Historic Newton will set up tents, or the event will take place inside the homestead.
