Frederick Douglass: What, to the slave, is the Fourth of July
A reading by Carrie Kaufman, J'Shauntae Marshall, Rebecca Colbert, Brenda Zamora, Sarah O'Connell, Leisa Moseley, and Jenna Robertson
A decade before the Civil War, just after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave a speech to dignitaries in Rochester New York. There, he called them cowards, and called out American Christianity as the bedrock of slavery.
It is astonishing how much of Douglass’ speech is still relevant 170 years later. We hope you enjoy this audio recording as we contemplate what the Fourth of July means to us.
The text of this reading is from: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/speeches-african-american-history/1852-frederick-douglass-what-slave-fourth-july/
Thanks to all the women who participated in this reading of a speech that still speaks to us all.
J’Shauntae Marshall
Rebecca Colbert
Brenda Zamora
Sarah O’Connell
Leisa Moselely
Jenna Robertson
And me, Carrie Kaufman
Thank you for listening