“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” -The Declaration of Independence July 4th, 1776
Architects of the Declaration of Independence had liberty and justice in mind for all men, except the enslaved of African descent. A second class citizen (or piece of property) did not possess the same rights as a free man, even in a document written 240 years ago clearly stating “all men are created equal”.
Famed author and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass posed stimulating questions about America’s early idea of freedom in his July 5, 1852 speech, “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”. In what would become one of his most remarkable speeches, Douglass addressed his white audience saying, “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
In this excerpt, his words packed a powerful punch.
“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.”
Now is the time to resurrect his speech and not just because of the holiday. With the end of slavery, Jim Crow and the modern Civil Rights Movement, America’s longstanding illusion of freedom is constantly questioned especially in terms of minorities repeatedly marginalized by the system.
Today, the framework of Frederick Douglass’ words continue to linger.
4th of July: The day on which America's collective amnesia abt its history is on full display #WhatIsThe4thOfJulyToASlave #FrederickDouglas
— A. Adar Ayira (@AdarAyiraViews) July 4, 2016
#FrederickDouglas was an amazing human being. His writings r difficult on the ❤ but very educational re our origins as a country #4thofJuly
— Anika Noni Rose (@AnikaNoniRose) July 4, 2016
Watch Morgan Freeman recite Douglass’ notable speech.
Click here to read the entire text.
