On Saturday, September 26^th, the Talbot County community will join in celebrating the abolitionist writer and orator Frederick Douglass, a renowned figure in Maryland’s history and the history of our nation. Douglass, was born into slavery in Talbot County in 1818 and became known across the country for his anti-slavery speeches which led to great advances in the abolitionist cause. This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the raising of a statue of Douglass in front of the Talbot County Courthouse.

The celebration will start at 10:00 am with a parade, led by Grand Marshall Marshall Bailey IV, a 6^th-generation descendent of Frederick Douglass, as well as Honorary Marshalls Walter Black and Celeste Bernier, and Community Marshalls Dina and Derick Daly. Representing the Frederick Douglass Honor Society in the parade will be FDHS President Boots Robinson. The Easton High School NJROTC will provide a color guard. Music in the parade will be provided by the Easton Middle School and Easton High School bands, the White Marsh Elementary School band, and famous local bagpiper Randy Welch. Other participants include members of BAAM (Building African American Minds), Waterfowl Festival mascots, the Easton Elementary School Hispanic dance group, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Following the parade, a Welcome Ceremony will begin at 10:30 am on the courthouse front lawn, led by Mistress of Ceremonies Taylor Beck. Boots Robinson will give opening remarks, followed by an invocation by Union Baptist Church Minister Javion Jones. Randy Welch will give a bagpipe performance during the presentation of colors by the NJROTC, followed by the pledge of allegiance led by BAAM. Other musical performances will include Dana Bowser and the Mid-Shore Community Band with director Matt Fullerton. Speakers will include Talbot County Parks & Rec Assistant Director LaDarian Blake, TCPS Superintendent Dr. Sharon Pepukayi, Talbot County Free Library Director Dana Newman, and representatives from the County Council and Town of Easton.

At 11:00 am, the Frederick Douglass Day Marketplace will open at West & Dover St. Adjacent to the marketplace will be the entertainment stage featuring various performances from local entertainers from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

From 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, a Children’s Village will be hosted on the Free Library’s front lawn. Activities for children will include face painting, Douglass-themed coloring books, book readings, and more. Inside the library, multimedia panels will be shown that include photos of Douglass and his family along with biographical information. The National Park Service will also loan several artifacts belonging to Douglass to the library for viewing.

The Frederick Douglass Day Lecture will be given by Damon Root, author and senior editor at Reason Magazine. His book A Glorious Liberty: Frederick Douglass and the Fight for an Antislavery Constitution has been praised by critics for its thorough research and refreshing readability. His lecture, which will take place in the Free Library at 1:00 pm, will focus on Glorious Liberty; Root will also sign copies of his books following the lecture.

At 3:00 pm at the BAAM Center in Easton, Harriette Lowery will give a talk on her family history, including her ancestors who were enslaved alongside Douglass at the Wye Plantation. Also, at 3:00 pm, Yvonne Freeman will host a walking tour of the historic community “The Hill,” known as America’s first African American neighborhood. The tour departs from the Avalon Theater.