LAD #16: Frederick Douglass Speech

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LAD #16: Frederick Douglass Speech

Douglass' speech is about Independence Day and the American liberties that it celebrates from the perspective of African-Americans and African-American slaves. Douglass states that African-Americans do not share in the celebration of American Independence because the freedoms that were won for white people on that day are also not shared. Douglass declares that Independence Day actually only sheds light on the massive gap between white people and black people in America. The crimes against and the enslavement of African-Americans only seems worse on Independence Day, according to Douglass. He even goes as far as to state that it is sinful to celebrate American Independence because it means forgetting the suffering of so many African-American slaves. Douglass makes clear that by continuing slavery, America is trampling on the ideals it holds dear. Douglass then proves that African-Americans are "equal in manhood," as they are capable of all that white men are. Next, Douglass lists some of the crimes against slaves and states that he should not have to argue that this is wrong, implying his belief that it is obvious that the injustices done to African-Americans are wrong. Douglass concludes by saying that, to a slave, Independence Day only shows the hypocrisy of Americans and that there is no other country that is even close to as vile and disgusting as America.

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This speech reminded me of Martin Luther King Jr. because MLK continued the fight of Frederick Douglass, a fight to gain equality for African-Americans.