With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

Douglass center in NY up but not running

After decades of failed efforts, the latest venture to create a cultural hub honoring Douglass in the city where he spent his most influential years is close to fruition. All it needs is staff — at least five people to complement the Hunts' nonprofit efforts and run the new resource.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony drew a big crowd to the Frederick Douglass Resource Center over the Fourth of July weekend. The main gallery is adorned with 19th-century photographs, maps and handwritten letters. Down the hall, there's a 130-seat theater, computer lab and library devoted to exploring the life and legacy of the anti-slavery crusader.

Remodeling the former metalwork shop a minute's walk from suffragist Susan B. Anthony's Victorian home ate up $1.2 million in government grants. Now, not enough money remains to hire staff to officially open.

Read entire article at AP