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


  • We were L.A.—way before they…
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    We were L.A.—way before they…
    19 Oct 2022
    “Ignorance allied with power   is the most ferocious enemy   justice can have.”   —James Baldwin
  • BAR Book Forum: Vincent Lloyd’s Book, “Black Dignity”
    Roberto Sirvent, BAR Book Forum Editor
    BAR Book Forum: Vincent Lloyd’s Book, “Black Dignity”
    19 Oct 2022
    This week’s featured author is Vincent Lloyd. Lloyd is professor of theology and religious studies and the director of the Center for Political Theology at Villanova University. His book is Black…
  • The Black Alliance for Peace Opposes Biden Administration’s Security Council Resolution on Haiti and Calls for its Veto
    Black Alliance for Peace Haiti/Americas Team
    The Black Alliance for Peace Opposes Biden Administration’s Security Council Resolution on Haiti and Calls for its Veto
    19 Oct 2022
    The Haiti/Americas Team of Black Alliance for Peace explains that Haiti's problems are caused by the imperialist gang, who stymy Haitian sovereignty and self-determination at every turn. The next…
  • Hashtag Activism and US Imperialism
    Erica Caines
    Hashtag Activism and US Imperialism
    19 Oct 2022
    The social media hashtag is often where serious politics goes to die. It can be a tool of empire used to fool well-meaning but uninformed people.
  • The Lethal Threat of White Boss Syndrome
    Mark P. Fancher
    The Lethal Threat of White Boss Syndrome
    19 Oct 2022
    The idea that white people have an inherent right to control Black people permeates to this day. Mark Fancher provides another viewpoint on the killing of Porter Burks and the legacy of white…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us