Frederick Douglass did not know the date he was born. He could only estimate that he was born sometime in February of 1818. He chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14, Valentine's Day.  

It was a fitting choice, since Douglass put his heart and soul into all that he did. He was an abolitionist, orator, newspaper publisher, and author who was enslaved for about 20 years. He died February 20, 1895. 

On Friday, February 14, 2025, Writing Initiatives and the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, along with the History Philosophy & Religious Studies Department and the Katharine Brush Library, celebrated Douglass Day with transcription sites at the Writing Studio and the Commons. Students transcribed parts of the Daniel Murray Collection from the Library of Congress. Murray, a bibliographer and historian, was the second Black employee of the Library of Congress. He had an extensive collection of pamphlets and books about the contributions of Black writers and organizations from about 1870 to the 1920s that he donated to the Library of Congress. Digital transcriptions enable the public to more easily search documents and can help with readability, especially when the originals were hand-written. 

Volunteers from all over the country joined in the virtual transcribe-a-thon. In 2024, about 8,500 people in 165 locations participated, according to douglassday.org. 

“The work we do today will help make these documents more publicly accessible and searchable within the databases of the Library of Congress, so it’s really important work,” Director of Writing Initiatives John Morrell said from the Writing Center as the Chamber Singers gathered to sing “Lift Every Voice,” also known as the Black National Anthem. 

“Take it away!” John said, and the Chamber Singers launched into song. And, at various times throughout the day, students launched into the transcribing. 

“It’s interesting to look back at the past and be part of something like this, transcribing history, so I’m gaining a better perspective on the past,” senior Phineas Lumpkin said.  

This was the third year of collaboration between the Library of Congress’s virtual transcription program, and Douglass Day organizers at the Center for Black Digital Research at Penn State.   

Senior Erick Lamphere said he felt he was “contributing by helping to transcribe so others looking to do this type of research can benefit from all this work done.” Senior Zac Kurian also felt he was gaining a deeper perspective on history, saying that while transcribing he also benefits from reading the story and gaining new knowledge.