The Meaning of the 4th of July to Black America

Frederick Douglass with a very powerful speech on the meaning of July 4th for Black Americans of the time. Douglass, an ex-slave himself, at the time of his speech in 1852, saw slavery continue legally for another thirteen years. As we think of the heartless, gruesome, realities of slavery. Those same slave owners and culprits were the very ones celebrating American “freedom” and “independence” from Great Britain every July 4th. We recognize these continuing hypocrisies in several aspects of our society unfortunately. In regards to Douglass’s speech in 1852, things are much different now, but how much has really improved in this nation for Black America?