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
03 Jul 2024
🖨️ Print Article

Black Agenda Radio · "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
As we grow closer to the Fourth of July, BAR once again shares this piece - a reading of "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" read by Ozzie 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
Frederick Douglass
July 4th

Related Podcasts

Gerald Horne
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Gerald Horne Discusses His Book "The Capital of Slavery: Washington DC 1800 - 1865"
27 June 2025
Dr. Gerald Horne is an author and historian who currently holds the John J.
Black Agenda Radio
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio March 7, 2025
07 March 2025
In this week’s segment we discuss the continued genocide in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Rikers Island
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Rikers Island, Slave Catching, and the Modern Carceral State
07 March 2025
Darren Mack is co-founder and co-director of Freedom Agenda, an organization devoted to d

More Stories


  • Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor
    Kagame Did Not Invade DRC to Save Tutsis
    05 Feb 2025
    Rwandan President Paul Kagame sends troops into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to seize territory and resources, not to save Congolese Tutsis. Rwandan Genocide survivor and human rights…
  • Clau O'Brien Moscoso
    The Perfect US Puppet Narco State: CIA and State Department Control Over Ecuador
    05 Feb 2025
    Ecuador was once a safe country. However, U.S. interference, the rise of neoliberal economic policies, the dollarization of its currency, and enhanced state repression have combined to worsen the…
  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    DEI in the sky
    05 Feb 2025
    "DEI in the Sky" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
  • Jon Jeter
    Across the Country, Black Voters Show Signs of Abandoning Black Mayors Who Have Abandoned Them
    05 Feb 2025
    The adage that "black faces in high places won't help us" still rings true when you look at Black mayors like Karen Bass, Eric Adams, and Lori Lightfoot. Residents of their respective cities have…
  • Jacqueline Luqman
    DEI’s Swift Demise Exposes The Absurdity Of Trusting The Oppressors To Correct Themselves
    05 Feb 2025
    Donald Trump recently issued an executive order that eliminates all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in the federal government. While this act demonstrates Trump's unwavering…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us