On February 13, the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) will host Douglass Day, an event that brings together students, staff, and community members to transcribe digitized records from 19th-century Black history. The event is designed as a “birthday party” where participants will work on archival documents, pause to sing “Happy Birthday,” enjoy cake, and then continue their efforts.
“Douglass Day transforms the work of remembering into an act of resistance and renewal,” said Daina Ramey Berry, Michael Douglas Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts. “By transcribing the Colored Conventions, we enter a conversation across time with ancestors who refused to be erased. UC Santa Barbara is honored to serve as the institutional home for this global initiative, uniting our community to amplify the enduring demand for ‘All Rights for All.’”
The event combines archival work with public engagement in order to preserve and celebrate Black histories while supporting new historical research. Jim Casey, assistant professor of English at UCSB and director of the event, stated: “Douglass Day offers space for difficult conversations about hard histories, but we also want people to have a sense of these histories as moments of resilience and even joy.”
Douglass Day has been held annually since 2017 and celebrates its tenth year in 2026. It invites groups worldwide—including schools, churches, and community centers—to help transcribe collections related to Black history from the 1800s. Over its history, more than 1,000 events have involved approximately 46,000 participants. This year’s live broadcast will originate from UCSB.
Casey highlighted that Douglass Day relies on collaboration among faculty, staff, students from multiple universities—supported by a multi-campus research team that locates and organizes dispersed archival materials—and includes partners such as Denise Burgher, Gabrielle Sutherland, Jenn Isasi, and P. Gabrielle Foreman at Penn State.
He added: “It’s very much a collective, collaborative group that works on these projects.” Undergraduate and graduate students like Eden Mekonen (PhD student at Penn State) and Courtney Murray Ross (now assistant professor at James Madison University) play significant roles in leadership.
Now permanently based at UCSB, future Douglass Day events are being planned with support from key collaborators including the UCSB Library; co-sponsors include departments such as English and Black Studies along with the Multicultural Center.
“UCSB Library is proud to partner with the Colored Conventions Project and our campus colleagues to co-host UCSB’s inaugural Douglass Day,” said University Librarian Todd Grappone. “This collaboration exemplifies how innovative digital scholarship and public engagement can advance the mission of both the library and the university. We hope this year’s events mark the beginning of a vibrant and enduring Douglass Day tradition at UCSB.”
The main gathering will take place in person from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Multicultural Center Lounge at UCSB. After welcome remarks by campus leaders, attendees will use their own laptops or borrow one from UCSB Library to transcribe scanned documents using Zooniverse—a nonprofit platform designed for ease-of-use.
“We welcome people who don’t work in archives or research libraries to immerse themselves in historical materials,” Casey said. “For a lot of participants, this is the first time they’ve ever encountered documents like these directly. It can be fun and captivating!”
According to Casey, accuracy is not the only goal; increasing access is equally important by inviting those without professional experience in history or archives into direct contact with original records.
The program will also be livestreamed so participants can connect with similar events happening elsewhere simultaneously—a feature intended to enhance feelings of connection during what organizers call “the liveness of the event.” No special background is required; Douglass Day welcomes people of all ages. The initiative also provides K–12 curriculum materials aligned with classroom standards so teachers can bring these activities into schools.
Each year features different transcription materials; this year focuses on documents related to Colored Conventions—a major movement involving tens of thousands of free or formerly enslaved African Americans between roughly 1830-1900 who debated voting rights citizenship education labor rights among other issues.
“It is one of the largest racial justice movements in American history,” Casey said. He noted that relevant documents are scattered across more than 100 libraries and archives nationwide; transcription helps make them accessible for wider use.
This year’s theme—“All Rights for All”—draws inspiration from Reconstruction-era debates around civil rights following passage of the Fourteenth Amendment. Casey explained: “We need to understand what the Fourteenth Amendment actually means.” Participants are invited to engage directly with arguments made by Black communities about citizenship civil rights due process—the amendment guarantees birthright citizenship civil liberties equal protection under law regardless where someone lives within United States jurisdiction.
In addition to document transcription on February 13th there will be a quilting workshop hosted by UCSB Library’s Makerspace on February 10th where attendees create patchwork pieces inspired by themes like citizenship civil rights which will later be displayed during main celebration.
Douglass Day coincides with Frederick Douglass’ chosen birthday—February 14—as he did not know his actual birth date due his enslavement but selected this day himself; after his death it became an annual holiday eventually evolving into Black History Month celebrations featuring performances speakers cake song alongside archival activities.
Recent years have seen an informal online birthday cake competition grow up around Douglass Day—with creative designs shared via social media—demonstrating how collective action preserves celebrates often overlooked aspects American history.
