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HISTORY OF THE DOUGLASS PROJECT In 1995, West Chester University will become the site for a centennial celebration of the life and work of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). The commemoration is entitled, “The Life and World of Frederick Douglass” and will span a two-year period, beginning in May 1994 and extending throughout 1995, with follow-up activities. Douglass was a nineteenth-century slave who escaped bondage to become one of the distinctive voices for liberty and American history. To understand Douglass is tantamount to identifying and addressing troubling yet instructive aspects of 19th century life in America. The State System of Higher Education (SSHE) initially funded the Douglass initiative at West Chester University for the 1992-93 academic year, and recently renewed the application for 1993-94. The purpose of the initial funding was to assess the prospects of a Douglass Centennial on West Chester University’s campus and at other universities within the SSHE. The principal issue was framed in this manner: Was it possible for a Douglass commemoration to attract a campus-wide examination of Douglass’ life and times, and what tangible and practical application would such a project have for our local, state, and national communities? Questions about cultural diversity were also brought into focus during the first year and allowed us to answer how the Douglass commemoration would offer new strategies for improving the considerable efforts the University had made towards becoming an institution committed to cultural diversity. We focused attention on how Douglass’ life story and his image could help to stimulate elementary, secondary, and college and university-level students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the adjunct communities, particularly members of the historically oppressed, to become more involved and more responsible in matter affecting their own sense of history, and culture. Most important to the first year was the establishment of a campus advisory board that included a cross section of faculty, staff, administrators, and students. Moreover, in April 1993, project director Dr. C James Trotman, associate directors Dr. Patricia Gratsy Gaines, and Dr. Jerry Williams hosted a conference of fourteen college, public school teachers, and librarians to discuss a Douglass centennial to serve the SSHE, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the nation.
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