Marquette celebrates Douglass Day with national Transcribe-A-Thon

As part of Black History Month, Marquette University joined institutions across the country for the annual Douglass Day Transcribe-A-Thon on Feb. 13 in the Lemonis Center for Student Success.

The event invited students, faculty and staff to help transcribe 19th-century historical documents related to the Colored Conventions, a nationwide Black organizing campaign that laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights era.

Douglass Day is an annual celebration of Frederick Douglass' birthday. During the event, hundreds of participants around the country transcribe scanned historical documents relating to Douglass and the early civil rights movement, turning them into searchable texts.

By doing so, participants expand access to these materials and make African American history more accessible.

The transcribe-a-thon takes place on or around Feb. 14 every year, the date Douglass chose as his birthday.

For Marquette, participating in this national effort is significant. Students contribute to work that has a tangible impact, helping to expand understanding and dialogue around justice, equity and the continuing relevance of history.

Organizers noted that students also find it significant for Marquette to participate given its location in Milwaukee, described as one of the most segregated cities in the country.

"Douglass Day gives our students a chance to contribute to a national project that really matters and helps to center marginalized voices and deepen public understanding of historical events," says Dr. Tara Baillargeon, dean of Raynor Library.

The event aligns with Marquette's mission by turning scholarship into action. Students build research skills while connecting with the very human stories behind the documents while taking part in community-engaged learning that centers on historically marginalized voices.

Carissa French, a participant in this year's event, says she first learned about the transcribe-a-thon from a Marquette Today post. "I saw a short article about the transcribe-a-thon in Marquette Today, and I thought it sounded like a really interesting and unique way to spend my Friday afternoon."

French had never done anything like it before. During the 90-minute session, she transcribed 25 documents.

She described the experience as both educational and approachable. "My experience was good. The facilitators of the event brought homemade dessert items for participants and the instructions on how to participate were clearly laid out," French says.

Working with primary sources stood out to French. "Working with these historical documents made things a lot more real, which speaks to the efficacy and importance of utilizing primary sources," French adds.

She chose to transcribe documents from Tennessee before switching to Georgia and noticed common themes across states. "The people leading efforts for suffrage felt united in their purpose even across borders and across time," French explains.

French was struck by the number of individuals involved in the movement whom she wasn't taught about in school. "There were a lot of names. When I think back to my history classes, I only remember names that were attached to significant events. These documents had a wide variety of names from people who were contributing to the ongoing suffrage efforts at the time, including those who were leading conventions and those who were part of key conversations."

The event organizers emphasized that engaging with primary sources allows students to encounter history before it has been shaped into a polished narrative.

"Instead of being told what to think, students can dig into the evidence themselves and use their critical thinking skills to make sense of what they are seeing. Working with primary sources helps them understand not just what happened, but how events unfolded," event organizers say.

Events like the Douglass Day Transcribe-A-Thon also connect past struggles to present conversations. Organizers noted that these documents can sound as if they could have been written today, underscoring the continuing relevance of this history. Of the documents the organizers say, "They describe righteous anger, tireless organizing, courageous actions, and hope among Black Americans in the face of racist threats, coercion, and violence to quash democratic participation and social power."