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


  • BAR Book Forum: Kristian Williams’s “Our Enemies in Blue”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Kristian Williams’s “Our Enemies in Blue”
    13 Feb 2019
    Throughout their history the police have reliably served the interests of white supremacy. 
  • Letters from Our Readers
    Jahan Chowdhry, BAR Comments Editor
    Letters from Our Readers
    13 Feb 2019
    This week readers were eager to discuss anti-Russian war hysteria and the role of privatization in public education.
  • When Jamaica Led the Postcolonial Fight Against Exploitation
    Adom Getachew
    When Jamaica Led the Postcolonial Fight Against Exploitation
    13 Feb 2019
    In the 1970s, a bloc of Third world states forced the UN to take seriously the unequal distribution of global wealth.
  • The Left Must Finally Break With the Democrats
    A Discussion with Nick Brana
    The Left Must Finally Break With the Democrats
    13 Feb 2019
    It is vitally important to create a mass-based and corporate-free party of working people.
  • The Venezuela Myth Keeping Us From Transforming Our Economy
    Ellen Brown
    The Venezuela Myth Keeping Us From Transforming Our Economy
    13 Feb 2019
    Venezuela’s hyper-inflation is caused by US economic warfare, not government spending on social needs.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us