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


  • Matt Sledge , Sam Biddle
    ICE Recruitment Tweets Are So Racist That Cops Feared They Could Incite Neo-Nazi Violence
    27 May 2026
    A newly uncovered police bulletin warns that white supremacists may interpret ICE social media content as a call to violence.
  • Stephen Kimber
    True Lies Across the Water
    27 May 2026
    The real story behind the so-called murder charge against former Cuban President Raúl Castro.
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio May 22, 2026
    22 May 2026
    In this week’s segment, we discuss the issue of deed theft, the loss of property by fraudulent means, which disproportionately impacts Black communities. But we begin with a conversation about Congo…
  • Congo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Congo, Ebola Virus Disease, and Colonial Exploitation
    22 May 2026
    Maurice Carney, Executive Director of Friends of the Congo, joins Black Agenda Report to discuss the latest outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease and explains what it tells us about conditions in that…
  • Carmella Charrington
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Deed Theft and Black Communities
    22 May 2026
    Leah Goodridge, a New York City-based attorney, housing advocate, and writer, is a member of the City Planning Commission. She joins Black Agenda Report from New York to discuss deed theft and…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us