North Shore Juneteenth hosted the Reading Frederick Douglass Together July 3 at Frederick Douglass Park in Central Square.
Guests participated in the reading of Mr. Douglass’ famous Fourth of July Address.
North Shore Juneteenth President Nicole McClain welcomed residents to the twelfth annual event that had been previously held at High Rock Park.
Mayor Jared Nicholson delivered remarks at the event that honors Mr. Douglass’ outstanding contributions as a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman.
“Thank you, North Shore Juneteenth, the Lynn Museum, Mass Humanities – thank you to all of you for being here,” Nicholson said. “This is such a marquee event and to have it in a marquee spot like this is really exciting for the city of Lynn. This is something that’s gone on for years, and it’s really important for us to recognize this story. It’s an important part of our local history, the role Frederick Douglass played, and you can see that with the memorial dedication of this park in his name. He’s been such an important part in our country’s history. Particularly now, as we are celebrating the nation’s birthday, it’s important to recognize that part of our country’s history that isn’t talked about during Fourth of July: the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence where it was declared that all men were created equal – and then and now, that struggle to make that true continues. Frederick Douglass knew it then when he said it, and more and more people are working to try address that. It’s a proud legacy for the city to have had someone fighting for that in our city, and it’s a proud legacy that so many of the folks that are here today are carrying on.”
Mr. Douglass lived in Lynn from 1841 to 1848 and wrote his autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, while a resident of the city.
The event was founded by Wendy Joseph and is one of the longest running in the state honoring Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech.
(Information from Mr. Douglass’ autobiographical data online was used in this story).