Good morning, By the People transcribers, reviewers, friends, and readers -
We're excited to share that next Tuesday, February 14, is Douglass Day 2023!
In 2021, By the People was proud to partner with the Douglass Day team to celebrate and transcribe the papers of Mary Church Terrell. You can now view these completed transcriptions back in loc.gov, where they power increased discoverability and accessibility of her papers. Click here to view the Mary Church Terrell Papers (with volunteer transcriptions!) back on the Library's website.
Want to get involved with the 2023 project? Here are a few FAQs from the Douglass Day organizers (below). Check out their website to learn more about this year's focus, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, in partnership with the Archives of Ontario, Libraries and Archives Canada, and many others. You can connect with Douglass Day team on Twitter (@DouglassDayorg and #DouglassDay), Instagram (@DouglassDayorg), and on YouTube (Douglass Day).
"What is Douglass Day?
Douglass Day is an annual program that marks the birth of Frederick Douglass. Each year, we gather thousands of people to help create new & freely available resources for learning about Black history. We frequently focus on important Black women’s archives, such as Anna Julia Cooper (2020), Mary Church Terrell (2021), and plenty more to come in future years. Learn more about the history of Douglass Day.
What is a transcribe-a-thon?
Transcribe-a-thons are events in which people gather together to work side-by-side on a crowdsourcing transcription project. We feature a different project each year. We always try to have food, music, and a fun time! Want to hold a transcribe-a-thon? Our program team prepares a set of plans and resources each year to help you bring Douglass Day to your group, school, or community. Free and open to all!
What are we going to transcribe this year?
The papers of Mary Ann Shadd Cary (1823-1893)! She was one of the earliest Black women to edit a newspaper, serve as a Civil War recruiter, attend law school, and so much more. We are pleased to be partnering with the Archives of Ontario, Libraries and Archives Canada, and many others. Together we are presenting newly digitized and fascinating collections from Shadd Cary’s long and fascinating life."
We're looking forward to celebrating with you next week! Tag us all on Twitter (@Crowd_LOC and #DouglassDay) if you also have a submission to the 3rd Annual Douglass Day Bake Off. The competition will be fierce here at the Library of Congress 
(Library of Cakeress, if you will...)
Cheers to Douglass Day 2023!
Carlyn & the BtP team