FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2025
Media Contact:
Sandi Goldfarb, 781.888.0066, sgoldfarb@rasky.com
On-Site Contact:
Kristin Leary, 202.577.4653, learyventures@gmail.com
CONVERSATION WITH THE GREAT-GREAT-GREAT GRANDSON OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS AT UNION CHAPEL KICKS OFF ANNUAL #DOUGLASSWEEK PROGRAM SERIES
Museum of African American History I Boston & Nantucket CEO Dr. Noelle Trent to Interview Douglass Descendent Kenneth B. Morris on June 26 at 4:30 pm
BOSTON—#DouglassWeek, an annual series of programs celebrating Frederick Douglass’ lasting influence around the world, will kick off its 2025 season on Thursday, June 26 with a preview event at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. A fireside chat-style conversation, Frederick Douglass in Massachusetts, will feature Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., Co-Founder & President of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives and Dr. Noelle Trent, CEO of the Museum of African American History I Boston & Nantucket (MAAH) and a Douglass scholar. Frederick Douglass in Massachusetts begins at 4:30 pm and is free and open to the public.
A descendant of two historic figures, Morris, an in-demand speaker and writer, will share his insights, observations, and family stories with Dr. Trent and the audience. Morris is the great-great-great grandson of the abolitionist, author, and orator Frederick Douglass and the great-great grandson of Booker T. Washington, an educator and reformer who served as the first president and principal developer of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (now Tuskegee University).
The Globe Lane Initiative, a US-based nonprofit organization with roots in Ireland, is the driving force behind #DouglassWeek and this special Martha’s Vineyard event.
“We welcome the chance to introduce our #DouglassWeek 2025 programming to Massachusetts audiences with a preview event on Martha’s Vineyard at historic Union Chapel,” said Kristin M. Leary, co-founder and vice president of the Globe Lane Initiative. “Frederick Douglass in
Massachusetts is part of our “Douglass Dialogues” series and the first of many activities which will be held in and around Boston during #DouglassWeek, running from September 28th through October 4th. We have hosted #DouglassWeek over the last few years in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Washington, DC, Cork, Ireland and Rochester, New York, places where Douglass lived and worked. We are excited to be in Massachusetts this year, where Frederick Douglass first spoke out against slavery and injustice and where the Douglass family first lived in freedom.”
#DouglassWeek offers programs for audiences of every age and experience that honor Frederick Douglass’ legacy and connect it to the present day. Programming is developed, directed, and produced by the Globe Lane Initiative in partnership with a wide network of Douglass scholars, researchers, artists, poets, community groups and activists from around the world. Eventgoers will learn about Douglass and other activists and advocates as told through historical, creative, academic, and cultural lenses. The week includes performances, installations, exhibits, and critical discussions addressing Douglass’ reach and impact in each location. This year’s programs, which will be offered in collaboration with nonprofit and educational institutions in and around Boston including MAAH, Mass Humanities, and the Government of Ireland’s Emigrant Support Programme, will focus on the Douglass family and their lives in Massachusetts and will commemorate the 180th anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ journey to Ireland from Massachusetts in 1845.
“I am excited to speak with Dr. Trent about my family’s history in Massachusetts, including their involvement with the Underground Railroad and their service in the Massachusetts 54th Infantry Regiment during the Civil War,” said Morris. “This event will set the stage for our fall programming in Boston, which is designed to engage and inspire audiences and help forge connections between Frederick Douglass’ work and efforts by today’s activists.”
There is no charge for admission to Frederick Douglass in Massachusetts, but space is limited. For more information and to reserve a spot at the event please visit douglassweek.org.