Words of Thunder
14 Beacon Street, Suite 719, Boston MA 02108
Phone: 617-725-0022. Fax: 617-720-5225.
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Tracy Gibbs
617-725-0022 x21
tgibbs@afroammuseum.org
Contact: Susan Birkett
617-859-2212
sbirkett@bpl.org
The Museum of Afro-American History and
the Boston Public Library present
Words of Thunder
William Lloyd Garrison Bicentennial Celebration
and Exhibit Opening
BOSTON, MA – The Museum of Afro-American History and the Boston Public Library launch a three-year
collaboration, Words of Thunder, a series of exhibitions, events and educational programs centering on the
Abolitionist Movement in Boston. This historic partnership is possible thanks to a grant from the Institute of
Museum and Library Services, and matching funding from the Boston Public Library Foundation and the
Museum. The programs and exhibits at both institutions tell the story of how black and white Bostonians
gathered and worked together in the decades leading up to the abolition of slavery in America. None was more
passionate than William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist and editor of the widely circulated newspaper, The
Liberator.
Garrison’s place in history will come under fresh focus through two major exhibits, “Words of Thunder: The Life
and Times of William Lloyd Garrison” at the Boston Public Library, and “The Ambassadors of Abolition” at the
Museum of Afro-American History. On Saturday, August 6, at 2 PM, the exhibits will open with simultaneous
receptions for more than 150 Garrison descendants who are gathered in Boston for a family reunion.
At 7:30 PM on August 6, family members and the public are invited to the bicentennial celebration of William
Lloyd Garrison at the historic Tremont Temple, 88 Tremont Street in downtown Boston, where many abolitionist
meetings were staged. There will be a free presentation of speeches, music, and readings of Garrison’s works.
Deval Patrick, United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights under President Clinton, and
Christopher Lydon, host of “Open Source” on NPR, will be the main speakers.
Press is invited. Photos are welcome.
For more information, contact: Tracy Gibbs, 617-725-0022 ext 21, tgibbs@afroammuseum.org
Or Susan Birkett, 617-859-2212, sbirkett@bpl.org
Garrison Family Exhibit Opening - (PRESS INVITED TO ATTEND ALL EVENTS)
August 6, 2005 @ 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Descendants of the Garrison family will attend private, simultaneous viewings of the new exhibits at the Museum
of Afro-American History and the Boston Public Library.
Public Event:
August 6, 2005 @ 7:30 PM
Words of Thunder Celebration
A family reunion with the descendants of William Lloyd Garrison
Guest Speakers include Deval Patrick, former Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights, and Christopher
Lydon of “Open Source” Radio. Music provided by Myran Parker-Brass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
and the Youth Choir of the Eliot Congregational Church of Roxbury. Special guests: The Massachusetts 54th
Regiment.
Tremont Temple, 88 Tremont Street, Boston
ADMISSION: FREE – Open to the public
Exhibits:
August 8 – December 31, 2005
Words of Thunder: William Lloyd Garrison and the Ambassadors of Abolition
Although William Lloyd Garrison was the pioneer of radical abolition, he was aided by men and women, white
and black. This exhibit illustrates how these ambassadors of abolition sparked, supported, and sustained the
anti-slavery movement.
The Museum of Afro-American History
46 Joy Street, Beacon Hill
617-725-0022
August 8 – October 27, 2005
The Life and Times of William Lloyd Garrison
This exhibit tells the story of William Lloyd Garrison within the context of the turbulent times in which he lived
and which he helped to shape.
The Boston Public Library
Dartmouth and Boylston Streets, Boston
617-536-5400