Frederick Douglass' and the Fifth of July

Frederick Douglass had a way with words. The former slave who taught himself to read and write became one of the greatest and most powerful orators this nation has ever known. People would travel many miles to hear him speak and he was on the road for about 6 months out of every year, giving lectures on abolition. His words, as well as his logic and rhetoric, moved people. When Frederick Douglass came to speak, it was an event in whatever community hosted him.

On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass had gave a keynote speech at an Independence Day celebration in Rochester, New York. It's title was, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" He begins the speech by acknowledging the brilliance of Founding Fathers of America, the architects of the Declaration of Independence, and praises their commitment to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." He calls them "brave men" and "great men" for their ideals for freedom. He declares them to be "statesmen, patriots and heroes" who deserve to be honored.

All throughout this first section he puts his listeners at ease, even as he sets up the rest of the speech with phrases like "your national independence". Then he makes a rhetorical shift, calling on the listener to help him understand why the "great principles of political freedom and of natural justice" are not "extended to us".

He goes on to remind the audience that not all people in America are free to pursue life, liberty and happiness. He reminds them of the "sad sense of disparity between us". He tells them, 

"The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine."

He asks and answers his own question about what the Fourth of July means to the slave:

"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."

 He closes the speech not with condemnation, however, but with hope.

"Notwithstanding the dark picture I have this day presented, of the state of the nation, I do not despair of this country. There are forces in operation which must inevitably work the downfall of slavery. 'The arm of the Lord is not shortened,' and the doom of slavery is certain. I, therefore, leave off where I began, with hope."

He then paints a picture of America as it could be - America as it should be - in a world without walls and boundaries and where all the nations of the earth work together to give all people the freedom and equality with which they have been endowed by God, a freedom and equality every person deserves as part of the justice of God.

It is a majestic speech, one of the most important ever delivered in celebration of our country's founding. It looks towards the ideals and principles upon which our country stands and demands that we strive towards making them a reality for all, not just for some.

You can read the entire speech for yourself here. It isn't very long and I commend it to you highly. Because, sadly, I think if Frederick Douglass were alive today, he would still be giving the same speech.

Grace and peace...

PT