One Million Abolitionists

Writers & Books is proud to partner with Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives (FDFI) to distribute copies of the bicentennial edition of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave to young people throughout the Rochester area. FDFI’s goal is placing books in the hands of one million youth across the country and inspiring them to be agents of change in their own communities. 

Thanks to FDFI, books are available at no charge to schools and other organizations serving young people in the greater Rochester region.

This striking bicentennial edition of the Narrative includes a foreword by Kenneth B. Morris, Jr., the great-great-great grandson of Frederick Douglass and co-founder of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives;  an introduction by Bryan Stevenson, Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy; and reflections from many readers, from teens to nationally recognized advocates of social justice, on what the Narrative has meant to them. 

Please note the following:

  • The recommended age range for the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is 7th grade and above.
  • Books are intended to be distributed to youth in underserved communities.
  • The goal is inspiring students who read this special edition to address social justice issues in their own communities.
  • A free, downloadable curriculum created by Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives is available for all age groups, kindergarten-college: https://www.fd2018.org/curriculum.

    Please provide the following when requesting copies of the Narrative:

    • Number of books needed
    • Age range or grade level range of youth recipients
    • Name of the school/organization/program distributing books
    • Brief (1-2 sentences) description of the program’s mission 
    • Any plans for a complementary instruction/programming/discussion/curricular tie-in 

    For more information, or if you’d like to request a set of books for your school or other youth program, please contact Sally Bittner Bonn, Director of Youth Education sallyb@wab.org.

    For more information about Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, please visit fdfi.org.