Rochester, NY — The Friends of Frederick Douglass (FFD) proudly announces the Frederick Douglass Monument Commemoration. The 127th annual event celebrating the June 9, 1899 unveiling of the Frederick Douglass Monument will include remarks from elected officials, historians, and a Wreath Laying Ceremony with Eureka Lodge No. 36.

According to Rev. Juanitaelizabeth Carroll, FFD Chief Operating Officer, "Every Rochester child whose civic education includes the Frederick Douglass Monument has something unique and special to share about their hometown. The Commemoration facilitates this educational process highlighting the Monument's history while infusing pride in knowing it is the first ever erected in the U.S. honoring an African American. Praised internationally for his work as an abolitionist spokesperson, an inspiring statesman and author, Douglass also prolifically published anti-slavery newspapers including The North Star which is the direction towards which Douglass now gestures on the Monument. We invite the community to join this historic celebration and enjoy heartfelt music as experts share historic facts about the Monument including recognition of those responsible for its 2019 relocation.”

The Monument now stands in the Rochester park area between South and Mt. Hope avenues, an area which marks the site of the Douglass homestead, touches his cemetery plot and includes his bronze monument. According to the Uncrowned Queens Institute for Research & Education on Women,Inc., Carroll's mother, Dr. G. Juanita Pitts Carroll, who led the FFD and organized the festival for decades until her passing in 2015, realized a dream of getting the area renamed Frederick Douglass Memorial Square in 1993, complete with signage informing local residents and tourists about its historical significance.

Event Details

• Tuesday June 9th at 10AM 

• Frederick Douglass Memorial Square (Corner of South Avenue and Robinson Drive)

• Admission is free to the public.