Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

"What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
01 Jul 2022
🖨️ Print Article

Black Agenda Radio · "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis

On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass was asked to speak on the topic of the nation’s independence celebration. Now known as "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", the speech was a stinging indictment of slavery in the U.S., but the words are still relevant to Black people 170 years later. The late Ossie Davis read excerpts from Douglass’s remarks.

Slavery in U.S.
Frederick Douglass

Related Podcasts

Frederick Douglass
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
"What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
03 July 2024
As we grow closer to the Fourth of July, BAR once again shares
Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy
03 March 2023
Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
01 July 2022
We discuss reproductive justice in the wake of the supreme court ruling which overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.

More Stories


  • Millions Die in Congo While the UN Keeps the Peace
    Contributing Editor Ann Garrison
    Millions Die in Congo While the UN Keeps the Peace
    04 Dec 2019
    The UN Peacekeeping Mission has been in Congo for 20 years without protecting the people or the peace.
  • Boss Tweet’s Blitzkrieg 
    BAR Poet-in-Residence Raymond Nat Turner
    Boss Tweet’s Blitzkrieg 
    04 Dec 2019
    I wake in a cold sweat, scrambling for the internet— What salvoes were let loose while we slept?  How badly Bombed is the safety net? What rights are left?
  • GOOD AND DEAD 
    Gary Johnson
    GOOD AND DEAD 
    04 Dec 2019
    On the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Killing of Fred Hampton by Chicago Police
  • Where the Bodies Are Buried
    Michael Barajas 
    Where the Bodies Are Buried
    04 Dec 2019
    Descendants of survivors of a 1910 massacre of Blacks in East Texas vow not to rest until the victims bodies have been found.
  • Letters from Our Readers 
    Jahan Chowdhry, BAR Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers 
    04 Dec 2019
    This time readers talked about overcoming ingrained racism and the possibilities of a Bernie Sanders presidency.  We share letters for “
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us