ABOUT THE DOUGLASS PROJECT
OUR MISSION
The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice™ facilitates structured meetings and respectful conversations between members of free society and incarcerated people, so that they can learn from each other, form powerful human connections, and transform both their own lives and society at large.
Our multi-state Prison Visitation Program™ enables community members around the country to visit local correctional facilities and engage in open, face-to-face conversations with incarcerated people.
We believe that these unique encounters spur understanding and empathy—for both the visitor and the incarcerated individual—that will, in turn, drive meaningful personal and systemic change.
OUR VISION
We believe in a society where every human being is treated with dignity, acknowledged through understanding, and nurtured by compassion.
The Frederick Douglass Project™ creates a bridge of understanding through structured meetings and respectful conversations between people incarcerated and free society.
This initiative fosters learning, builds powerful human connections, and ignites a mutual transformation that enriches lives and reshapes our broader community.
OUR NAMESAKE
Founded in 2019 and formally launched in January 2020, The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice™ is named in honor of one of the most extraordinary and consequential figures in American history. Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) was born enslaved and became one of America’s most influential champions of freedom, education, justice, and human dignity. His remarkable life embodied self-determination, entrepreneurship, and the transformative power of education and opportunity—values that remain at the heart of our work today. His legacy also transcends traditional political divisions and commands respect across the ideological spectrum. We chose his name to reflect our commitment to a dignified, independent, and nonpartisan approach to justice.