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 MOVE Bombing and the Callous Handling of Black Remains
    By Jessica Parr
    The MOVE Bombing and the Callous Handling of Black Remains
    28 Apr 2021
    The 1985 MOVE bombing by the Philadelphia Police shocked and devastated a city, leaving destruction
  • Freedom Rider: Gun Violence Starts at the Top
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR senior columnist
    Freedom Rider: Gun Violence Starts at the Top
    21 Apr 2021
    If the state reserves the right to commit mass murder no one should be surprised that the people follow suit.
  • China and Africa: the Black Alliance for Peace’s AFRICOM Watch Bulletin
    Danny Haiphong, BAR Contributing Editor
    China and Africa: the Black Alliance for Peace’s AFRICOM Watch Bulletin
    21 Apr 2021
    Those that call China a colonizer of Africa don’t understand colonization.
  • Pacifica Radio: Let’s Talk About the Debt
    Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Pacifica Radio: Let’s Talk About the Debt
    21 Apr 2021
    It’s difficult not to imagine that the secret plan is to sell WBAI’s license. “Most people support Pacifica because it’s community radio.”
  • Return to the Source: Trayvon Martin and White Madness, July 18, 2013
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    Return to the Source: Trayvon Martin and White Madness, July 18, 2013
    21 Apr 2021
    Black people cannot change white people’s warped perceptions of the world, although, Lord knows, we’ve tried.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us