CUMBERLAND — Roughly 35 people at Frostburg State University were among thousands more around the world who united to celebrate African American life and culture to aid researchers.
Amy Branam Armiento, professor of English at FSU, said students, faculty, staff and community members participated in a transcribe-a-thon sponsored by the Library of Congress Feb. 14 — Frederick Douglass’s chosen birthday.
FSU participated for the first time in the annual celebration.
The group transcribed pamphlets, letters, books, ledgers and other materials held in the Library of Congress’ African American Perspectives in Print collection.
“Thousands of pages of valuable research need to be (typed) so that teachers and researchers of all ages can easily access them,” she said.
“The Library of Congress, as well as other institutions, use crowdsourcing events such as this one so that access to materials is not barred based on geography or financial limitations,” Armiento said.
“Moreover, transcribed materials allow for magnification and audio capabilities,” she said. “No matter how young or old you are, if you can type, we would love to have you join us next year to honor this outstanding Marylander.”
African American history
Although Douglass never knew his birth date, he chose to celebrate it every year on Feb. 14.
DouglassDay.org marks the day with a collective action that serves and celebrates Black history.
This year, the organization celebrated with the project to transcribe the archives at the Library of Congress.
According to LOC.gov Tuesday, 6,407 pages were completed by 1,199 contributors at the recent event.
“This campaign gives a panoramic and eclectic review of African American history and culture through rare books, pamphlets and related manuscripts from the Library of Congress,” according to the website.
“The majority of these items come primarily from the African American Perspectives Collection of the Rare Books and Special Collections Division and date from the 19th century,” according to the website. “Most were written by African American authors, though some were written by others on topics of particular importance in African American history.”
The Brownsville Project
The Brownsville Project co-sponsored the recent FSU transcribe-a-thon.
Brownsville/Park Avenue was a community of freed Black people that lived where FSU’s campus is today.
According to the book “Being Black in Brownsville — Echoes of a ‘Forgotten’ Frostburg” by local historian Lynn Bowman, author of multiple books on African American history, members of the community were forced to sell their houses for $10 to make way for the expansion of Frostburg State College, which is now FSU.
As a descendant of Brownsville residents, Clory Jackson, raised in Frostburg, created The Brownsville Project to help people uncover and heal from suppressed history.
The project supports pursuit of justice and healing that includes community-led reparations for the Brownsville/Park Ave community’s descendants.
Additionally, the organization helped form and support the Allegany County Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Committee.
The recent transcribe-a-thon is “a great example of community-led historical preservation and a great way to remember a beloved, historical Maryland scholar and changemaker,” Jackson said.