As an enslaved man, Frederick Douglass did not know his real birthday. He observed it on February 14th because his mother called him her “Little Valentine.”

People who respect his legacy have celebrated him on this day for over a century. These celebrations were the origins of Black History Month.

This year Bowdoin will hold its second annual Douglass Day party.

Partygoers will celebrate the legacy of Black activist Frederick Douglass by eating cake and transcribing a document (or several!) from the Library of Congress’ Colored Conventions collection. The focus is on the struggles for citizenship, equality, and belonging. The Colored Conventions include rich historical documents that speak directly to the fight to secure and preserve citizenship and civil rights.

This is easy and rewarding work in public history. Transcribers log in to the Douglass Day site and see a document (like a newspaper article or a letter). They type out its contents word for word, preserving any distinctive spelling and punctuation. Then they check their work, hit the upload button, and eat more cake! It is that simple.

Everything they transcribe will become—and remain—freely available to anyone exploring Black history.

Bring a laptop or ipad or use one of the loaners IT is supplying. Bring a friend or a sweetie!