2 Free Community Events: Reading Frederick Douglass Together

'Reading Frederick Douglass Together' is a program of and made possible by a grant from

Mass Humanities, with funding by the Mass Cultural Council.

Afternoon Event: Community Voices & Conversation

Date: June 17, 2026

Time: 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Venue: Holyoke Senior Center, 291 Pine St, Holyoke, MA

Featuring: A participatory community reading of Frederick Douglass’s historic speech. Including an intimate conversation with acclaimed Massachusetts playwright Ken Green.

Evening Event: Music, History & Drama

Date: June 17, 2026

Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Venue: De La Luz Divine Theater, 92 Race St, Holyoke, MA

Featuring: Performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing, led by the award-winning REVOLUTION A Cappella ensemble under the musical direction of Marcos Carreras.

Exclusive preview of ‘July 5th,’ a new play by Ken Green. Featuring music performed by REVOLUTION A Cappella, scene segments performed by playwright Ken Green with resident creatives Priscilla Kane Hellweg and Gloria Caballero-Roca. Including a special musical performance by rising star hip-hop artist Fabeyon. Stay after the performance for conversations with playwright Ken Green and Mass Humanities facilitator Latoya Bosworth.

Presented by MIFA Victory Theatre in collaboration with Holyoke Council on Aging and Senior Center, LightHouse Holyoke, and Holyoke Media

“July 5th’ 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).