On Independence Day, descendants of Frederick Douglass read his famous speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” and reflect on its relevance today.
In the summer of 2020, the U.S. commemorated Independence Day amid nationwide protests for racial justice and systemic reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. That June, we asked five young descendants of Frederick Douglass to read and respond to excerpts of his famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. It’s a powerful, historical text that reminds us of the ongoing work of liberation.
FEATURING (alphabetically) Douglass Washington Morris II, 20 (he/him) Isidore Dharma Douglass Skinner, 15 (they/their) Zoë Douglass Skinner, 12 (she/her) Alexa Anne Watson, 19 (she/her) Haley Rose Watson, 17 (she/her) You can read the full text of “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July?” here: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/l…
This video was inspired by Jennifer Crandall’s documentary project “Whitman, Alabama”. Visit http://whitmanalabama.com/.
#FourthofJuly #FrederickDouglass #SocialJustice
