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CultureSOUL:  Frederick Douglass - Independence Day, 1852

“I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought light and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

“The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”

As descendants of African American slaves, and in this post-12 YEARS era, we must be compelled to remember our history accurately. This means it is important to acknowledge the historical fact that ‘independence’ in 1776 did not come for black folks. Our freedom came nearly 100 years later.

The historical giant Frederick Douglass, as the most famous ‘free negro’ in America and the voice of the anti-slavery movement, was asked to speak to a white audience on this day in 1852. His speech (full text linked below) remains one of the most damning indictments of slavery and the hypocrisy of the holiday (at that time) that’s ever been recorded.

While he expressed deep respect for the founding fathers and their ideals, he then asked his nation, but why not for all? Douglass went on to deliver a blistering indictment and spoke of his anger at being asked to revere a country that continued to keep his brothers in chains. This powerful speech became one of his most famous and it serves to remind us of the towering legacy of Frederick Douglass and his righteous fight for his people and his country. 

Full text of speech

Excerpts read by Morgan Freeman (Video)

Photo credits:

1. Frederick Douglass c. 1860s
2. Slave family in Cotton field near Savannah, GA c. 1860 (courtesy of Corbis images)