Frederick Douglass gave a speech concerning Independence Day in 1852. In it, he discussed what Independence of America and the 4th of July has to do with slavery and slaves themselves. He began by asking the question of whether the topics discussed in the Declaration of Independence are extended to black people. He then goes on to praise the fact that America has come so far in being a fairly free and equal society, but that it was still unfair that so many people (including blacks) did not have those freedoms extended to them, making it a very unequal society still. By saying this, he implies that Independence day is ironic because a large part of the population of the United States is being denied the rights that the day is based around celebrating. To a slave, the 4th of July is just a reminder of all the injustices that occur to them on a daily basis. He then states that there is not a nation in the world that is as bad as the United States at that time concerning slavery. Upon concluding, he says that you can search all over but you will not find a country as hypocritical and barbaric as the US.
No comments:
Post a Comment