Douglass Day 2026 is almost here!

Welcome back to the Douglass Day newsletter!

We are officially under a week away from Douglass Day 2026. The anticipation is high and the party hats are ready. In this newsletter, we want to make sure you have everything you need to host and enjoy a successful Douglass Day.

Enjoy this newsletter, and we hope to see you on February 13th.

• Live Broadcast—12:00-12:30 PM EST

  • Join us in song (“Lift Every Voice and Sing”), receive an overview of the program, tutorials on transcribing, and listen to speakers on Douglass Day.

  • We will also share details about the Great Douglass Day Bakeoff

• Transcribing Time—12:30-1:00 PM EST

  • Time for transcribing, readings, discussions, etc. During this time, we’ll leave the live stream running but will go silent.

• Live Broadcast—1:00-1:30 PM EST

  • Sing “Happy birthday.”

  • We will have a dramatic reading of “Why Hold a Colored Convention?” by Hassan El-Amin.

• Transcribing Time—1:30-2:00 PM EST

• Live Broadcast—2:00-2:20 PM EST

  • We will have a community discussion. Stay tuned!

• Transcribing Time—2:20-2:45 PM EST

• Live Broadcast—2:45-3:00 PM EST

  • We will share highlights from social media, Bake Off winners, and closing reflections.

For those of you who are still undecided or are looking for local events to join, we can help with that! Visit our website to browse public events that may be happening statewide, nationwide, or even worldwide!

Douglass Day 2026 Locations

• Planning your event

  • Graphics, Flyers, and Swag

  • Bake Off

  • Press Release and Media Advisory

• Transcribing

  • We have online and PDF versions of the transcription tutorials. (Tip: Print these tutorials out and place them around your event for easy access!)

• Teaching Resources

  • K-12 Curriculum

    • Elementary Lessons

    • Middle School Lessons

    • High School Lessons

  • College Classes

• Program Schedule

  • Feb 13-Main Event

• Organizing Guides

  • Community Outreach

  • About Douglass Day

• Tips for Transcribe-a-thons

What if my Douglass Day event or class is not on February 13th? Can we still participate in Douglass Day?

Yes, you can still participate in the festivities! The broadcast will be available on our YouTube channel, and the Zooniverse transcribing project will stay open until it is completed.

Check the Zooniverse page ~24 hours before your scheduled event. If transcription materials are running low, email (douglassdayorg@gmail.com) us with:

• Your event date and time

• Number of participants

• City/State

Our team will work to reopen relevant batches so your participants have materials to transcribe.

Do you have transcription tutorials?

Yes! We will guide you through the transcription process during the live broadcast, but if you would like your own copies for your event, visit our Transcription 2026 page.

How can I join the Great Douglass Day Bake-off (GDDBO)?

The GDDBO is easy to join! The only thing you have to do is snap a picture of your Douglass Day themed baked good and post it with the hashtag, #DouglassDay, either on Bluesky and Instagram. Store bought, homemade, class projects, and more are all eligible for the bake-off. We encourage you to order your baked goods from Black-owned bakeries and get really creative! Our judges will choose the top submissions and announce them at the end of the day-of livestream. P.S. One submission per group/individual.

Do I need an account to transcribe?

No, but we really recommend it! An account lets you track your progress and see your past work.

How do I get help?

We will have a team ready to answer questions through our social media channels (#DouglassDay). Visit our home page for information and directions!

You can also connect with us through the “Talk” forum on Zooniverse. Post questions or share finds!