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


  • Anti-imperialism is the Only Antidote for Austerity
    Danny Haiphong , BAR contributor
    Anti-imperialism is the Only Antidote for Austerity
    03 Jul 2019
    Privatization, predatory lending, and endless war are all preconditions to finance capital’s hegemony.
  • WikiLeaks, the Global Fourth Estate: History Is Happening
    Ann Garrison , BAR contributor
    WikiLeaks, the Global Fourth Estate: History Is Happening
    03 Jul 2019
    WikiLeaks made it possible for whistleblowers to expose government and corporate criminals anonymously. 
  • The Democratic Party’s Fatal Contradiction
    Glen Ford , BAR executive editor
    The Democratic Party’s Fatal Contradiction
    03 Jul 2019
    The Democrats have packaged their 2020 presidential primary like a blockbuster Broadway theatrical production, with a huge cast of performers, plenty of showtunes and a chorus line that dances arou
  • Letters from Our Readers 
    by Jahan Choudhry, Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers 
    03 Jul 2019
    This week Venezuela, Zionism in the Congressional Black Caucus, and Gandhi and the anti-colonial movement are discussed.  We received comments for “
  • BAR Book Forum: Dana-Ain Davis’s “Reproductive Injustice”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Dana-Ain Davis’s “Reproductive Injustice”
    03 Jul 2019
    A world of reproductive justice must so be rooted in respect, care and a willingness to challenge all of the practices and beliefs that place people in hierarchical relations.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us