To commemorate the revered 19th century civil rights pioneer Frederick Douglass’s visit to Newark 170 years ago, Rutgers University–Newark (RU-N) will celebrate the life and legacy of Douglass at the on-campus site that now bears his name, Frederick Douglass Field (at University Avenue and Warren Street), on Wednesday, April 17, 2019, at 2:30 p.m. In addition to honoring Douglass, “Agitate! The Legacy of Frederick Douglass and Abolition in Newark” will acknowledge the nearby underground railroad stop and the vibrant abolitionist community in Newark at the time. The event will culminate with a reception at the Paul Robeson Campus Center at 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Confirmed attendees include Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka; Newark Historian Junius W. Williams; Rutgers University President Robert L. Barchi; RU-N Chancellor Nancy Cantor; Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives Co-Founder and President Kenneth B. Morris Jr., the great-great-great grandson of Douglass; and more than 200 descendants of Greater Newark’s abolitionists.
According to research by entrepreneur Todd Allen, a member of the Board of Directors of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives; and RU-N graduate student Noelle Lorraine Williams, Douglass accepted the invitation of local abolitionist leaders to deliver an address at the Plane Street Colored Church located in Newark’s African-American community on April 17, 1849, to fundraise for the North Star newspaper and rally action around the abolition of slavery. The defunct church at which Douglass spoke stood where RU-N’s athletics field borders University Avenue between Warren Street and Raymond Boulevard. RU-N renamed the athletics field in honor of Douglass on July 18, 2018. The naming took place in a year when the country celebrated the 200th anniversary of Douglass’s birthday.
The commemoration and reception are free and open to the public. To register, click here.
