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How should we think about the Fourth of July, a day dedicated to celebrating independence and freedom, in light of the unfreedom of race-based chattel slavery?
What do we do about the fact that of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence 41 of them held slaves?
Do those noble words of the Declaration stating that “all men are created equal” apply to anyone other than wealthy white men?
Frederick Douglass, the formerly enslaved 19th century abolitionist, has something to say.
We take his speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July” as our primary text for exploring the tension between liberty and bondage in U.S. history.
The video replay is posted on my YouTube channel (apologies for the fuzziness!). I have posted the audio here in case you prefer to listen—just bear in mind I occasionally respond to comments from live listeners. :-)
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P.S. I start getting really fired up at about the halfway point. Fair warning! LOL
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AUDIO: "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?": An Independence Day Teach-In