Many thanks go to Laura Cleary, Maureen Jones and Lae'l Hughes-Watkins in Special Collections and University Archives. They sparked a deeper devotion to understand both the Frederick Douglass Square and the value of the archive and special collections to explore not only what is there but also what is not there.

 

Thanks also go to the North Star committee members at the University of Maryland who have generously responded to my requests for information. They have talked to me about Dr. Ira Berlin, now deceased, who was the main instigator of the North Star committee and about their own participation in the effort that led to the creation of Frederick Douglass Square. They are Dr. Bonnie Thornton-Dill, Dr. Mark Leone, Dr. Robert S. Levine and Daniel Mack. And a very special thanks goes to Dr. Patrick O'Shea who generously shares his time and many previously undiscovered resources with me. Thanks to the entire North Star committee, wherever they are, for providing my favorite outdoor space at the University of Maryland and to Kristin Leary for helping them in their efforts then, and with my own efforts in sharing this project. Dr. Laurence Fenton's personal walking tour of Cork City introducing me to places that Douglass visited was a special highlight of my recent trip to Ireland. 

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Special thanks to Professor Jessica Enoch who pointed our class toward meaningful projects and offered continuing support along the way. This digital project would not have happened without her. And thanks to everyone in Archival Research Methods ENGL 460 Spring 2022. You all have inspired me with your projects and efforts and I appreciate your feedback. 

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As the project grows so do the people that deserve thanks. Among them are Dr. Christopher Bonner, Kyle Pruitt and the students of the Spring 2023 class Frederick Douglass's America (HNUH218B), Dr. Marisa Parham, Christin Washington, Kaitlin Tengeya, Alice Bi and the students of Black Digitalities (ENGL 438B/AAS 478E) Fall 2022 and Videogames and the Boundaries of Narrative (ENGL 378P) Spring 2023. Victoria Van Hyning from the iSchool provided special copies of the website's QR code and saved Maryland Day 2023 for me. Dr. Kim Nickerson is enhancing this project with his past and ongoing contributions relating to the African American/Black History Walking Tour on campus. He shares his wealth of knowledge about Douglass and campus history routinely on his tours and with me. The support and encouragement that I receive are greatly appreciated. It is beyond my ability to adequately express my gratitude to each and every contributor, but I'll keep trying to do so.  ​