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


  • The End of Roe V. Wade and American Politics
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    The End of Roe V. Wade and American Politics
    22 Jul 2022
    Pascal Robert discussed the impending end of the Roe v. Wade decision, and how the Supreme Court and American politics created this new crisis.
  • Biden's War Propaganda
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Biden's War Propaganda
    22 Jul 2022
    Danny Haiphong and Margaret Kimberley discuss Biden administration antagonism of Russia and China and the war propaganda apparatus.
  •  BAR Book Forum: Crystal Eddins’ Book, “Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Crystal Eddins’ Book, “Rituals, Runaways, and the Haitian Revolution”
    20 Jul 2022
    In this series, we ask acclaimed authors to answer five questions about their book. This week’s featured author is Crystal Eddins. Eddins is Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at UNC Charlotte.…
  •  Celebrating Revolution in Nicaragua
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Celebrating Revolution in Nicaragua
    20 Jul 2022
    Genuine peoples holidays are hard to come by in the U.S. But in Nicaragua the ongoing revolutionary process is widely celebrated.
  • ESSAY: Negro Revolutionary Hero: Toussaint L'Ouverture, Cyril Briggs, 1929
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY: Negro Revolutionary Hero: Toussaint L'Ouverture, Cyril Briggs, 1929
    20 Jul 2022
    In 1929, Black radical Cyril Briggs penned an essay on Toussaint L’Ouverture and the Haitian Revolution. For Briggs, both provided inspiration for the fight against the U.S. occupation of Haiti. We…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us