"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

More Stories

Lizzie Presser
Why Are So Many Black Families Losing Their Land?
17 Jul 2019
The Reels brothers spent eight years in jail for refusing to leave their plot of land in North Carolina.
Shea Howell
Detroit Targeted for Massive Facial Surveillance
17 Jul 2019
A Black elected police commissioner was manhandled at a public meeting for protesting a draconian facial recognition scheme.
Jahan Chowdhry, BAR Comments Editor
Letters from Our Readers
17 Jul 2019
This week we discuss Bernie Sanders candidacy, the Socialism 2019 conference, and Russiagate. You will find your comments on “
Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
BAR Book Forum: Ron Ridenour’s “The Russian Peace Threat”
17 Jul 2019
Seventy years of US savagery in the world prove the need for solidarity with all movements against repression, inequality, war and capitalism,
Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
BAR Book Forum: Kellie Jackson’s “Force and Freedom”
17 Jul 2019
Slavery was created by violence and the path to freedom in the US is never nonviolent.

Related Podcasts

More Stories