Press release
Minister Coveney welcomes the 2021 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows to Ireland
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Foreign Affairs
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence, Simon Coveney TD, has warmly welcomed the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows to Ireland as they commence their study programme: “Transformational Leadership Across Cultures.”
The Minister said:
"I am delighted to welcome the 21 brilliant young Frederick Douglass Global Fellows from the United States to Ireland. I wish them all the best for their visit during which they will follow in the footsteps of Frederick Douglass’ historic tour of Ireland 175 years ago.
"My department is proud to sponsor a programme that celebrates Douglass’ legacy, and reinforces the strong, and diverse, ties between the United States and Ireland.
"Educational exchange programmes play an essential role in building transatlantic understanding and extraordinary academic links, and are vital for our people-to-people links."
The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship is awarded to exceptional students of colour, based in Minority Serving Institutions in the US to participate in a four-week summer programme. The programme was announced by the Minister in September last year. Learn more.
As part of their four-week visit, the Fellows will visit Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Belfast. The course will focus on leadership, intercultural communication, and social justice as they explore the life stories and legacies of Frederick Douglass and Daniel O’Connell.
During his visit, 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass met with Daniel O’Connell in Dublin in 1845, published an Irish edition of The Narrative; and delivered scores of lectures across Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Limerick, Cork and Belfast.
The Fellowships were announced by Minister Coveney in September 2020. See here for more detail.
The Fellowship programme, co-funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Council of International Education Exchange (CIIE), honours the 175th Anniversary of Frederick Douglass’s tour of Ireland.
In an online St. Patrick’s Day roundtable in March this year, the 2021 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows met with the Taoiseach Micheál Martin T.D., Vice President Kamala Harris, Nettie Washington Douglass (the great-great-granddaughter of Frederick Douglass), and representatives from CIEE.