INDIANAPOLIS — Just in time for the final full week of Black History Month, the Indiana Historical Society is spending a night honoring the life and legacy of a prominent African American orator and social reformer and his ties to Indiana.
Frederick Douglass first visited Indiana in 1843. He was invited to the Midwest by an anti-slavery movement to speak at engagements across the region.
"While he was here in Pendleton," said IHS African American Collections Curator Susan Hall-Dotson, "he was mobbed by approximately 30 white men who were pro-slavery."
Hall-Dotson said Douglass didn't come back to the Hoosier State until he was 60 years old.
"We often talk about Frederick Douglass in the past, but his words are still with us today," said Hall-Dotson, "if we analyze and dissect the words of the past and see how many of them continue to resonate, not just with Black people, but with America today."
On Wednesday, Feb. 22, the Indiana Historical Society is hosting a discussion called "Frederick Douglass in Indiana: Black Resistance Pre and Past Civil War."
Hall-Dotson said the roundtable discussion will focus on how Douglass' writing shaped the nation and its legislation. Plus, guests will explore how his words still resonate with the culture of today.
Hoosiers can see some of the archival documents on display and read pages for themselves.
"We have two of his early autobiographies on display so that you can see them," said Hall-Dotson. "There is one in the library that you can actually come and look at, at a desk in the library and read the pages. These are first editions, or near first editions, of these books."
The event runs from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Indiana Historical Society.
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Online registration closes at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 22.
Refreshment will be provided.
If you can't attend the event, Hall-Dotson said Hoosiers can learn more about Douglass through the books at the museum.