The Westfield State community celebrated Douglass Day Feb. 12 as part of the University’s Month of Celebrating Black Excellence.
Westfield State joined more than 7,300 people representing 120 institutions from 23 states in a nationwide transcribe-a-thon of the papers of African-American educator and activist Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954).
Penn State University’s Center for Black Digital Research coordinated the opening ceremonies. Songs, speeches, and presentations focused on the contributions of Church Terrell, one of the first Black women to earn a college degree, were shared.
The Library of Congress crowdsourcing platform By the People was used to transcribe Church Terrell’s papers.
Westfield State first participated in Douglass Day in 2018 to mark the 200th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ birth, and campus community members have taken part ever since. Douglass was an escaped slave, American abolitionist, orator, and social reform activist. He was also one of the most eminent human rights leaders of the 19th Century.
For information about the University’s Month of Celebrating Black Excellence (Black History Month) please click here.