In a powerful celebration of Juneteenth, MIFA Victory Theatre is proud to announce a city-wide day of reflection, music, and spoken word titled ‘Reading Frederick Douglass Together.’ Hosted in partnership with the Holyoke Senior Center, LightHouse Holyoke, and Holyoke Media, these two free community events will take place on June 17, 2026.
Holyoke joins communities across the Commonwealth in a growing cultural phenomenon: gathering to collectively read, reflect upon, and discuss Frederick Douglass’s monumental 1852 address, What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? Members of the public are warmly invited to raise their voices and participate directly in the community reading. This event is made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities, with funding provided by the Mass Cultural Council.
EVENT SCHEDULE
Afternoon Event: Community Voices & Conversation
- Time: 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
- Location: Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine St, Holyoke, MA
- Featuring: A participatory community reading of Frederick Douglass’s historic speech, followed by an intimate, insightful conversation with acclaimed Massachusetts playwright Ken Green.
Evening Event: Music, History & Drama
- Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Location: De La Luz Divine Theater, 92 Race St, Holyoke, MA
- Featuring:
- A soul-stirring performance and community sing-along of Lift Every Voice and Sing, led by the award-winning REVOLUTION A Cappella ensemble under the musical direction of Marcos Carreras.
- A captivating discussion with playwright Ken Green, featuring an exclusive preview of his powerful new play July 5th featuring REVOLUTION A Cappella — commissioned by the Ensemble for the Romantic Century (ERC), Founder and Music Director Eve Wolf, and Directed by MIFA Executive Artistic Director Donald T. Sanders, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
Read Full Speech here: https://masshumanities.org/douglass-speeches/
