“What, To The American Slave, Is Your Fourth Of July?”

The ideals of the Declaration of Independence meant a great deal to slaves in Massachusetts when the idea that all men where free and equal was incorporated into the Sheffield Resolves and the state's new Constitution. A woman call Mumbet listened to the words, and asked, what about me? A lawyer named Sedgewick answered, yes, it should apply to you. With Tapping Reeve's help, he persuaded the Supreme Judicial Court to rule that the new consitution freed all slaves in the state.
https://www.masshist.org/endofslavery/index.php?id=54

Every one talks about the,Frederick Douglass's 1852 Oration, "What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July."How about talking about the Frederick Douglass John Brown Meeting

At this meeting, John Brown outlined his plan to Douglass to raid Harpers Ferry armory. Douglass had objections to the strategy of the plan to raid the armory.From what I read.John Brown wanted to destroy the money value of slave property by freeing slaves and helping them cross through the Allegheny mountains.But Frederick Douglass was not in favor of a violent end to slavery, and wanted to end slavery through the already existing legal system.But like Harriet Tubman,John Brown tried to convince Douglass to join his raid. Douglass declined. Frederick Douglass said I can't do it. You're going to be surrounded in a trap of steel. You will never get out.

Frederick Douglass on John Brown Meeting

http://www.wvculture.org/history/jbexhibit/lifetimesfrederickdouglass.html

A people who is always looking backward can never truly move forward.
I am so sorry the NHI chose to run this drawing and article on the anniversary of America's birthday. You are adding to the demoralization of all people

posted by: CityYankee on July 4, 2020 6:13am
A people who is always looking backward can never truly move forward.

You must have never heard of the Symbol Sankofa which is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates to Go back and Get it.In fact the word Sankofa is often associated with the proverb It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten and learn from the past.

Absolutely 3/5' s, we can and should look back to reflect upon what we have done. However, we cannot always be looking back. We have to turn around sometime and start moving forward. Otherwise, why bother to learn from the past?

@CityYankee...What you view as a "demoralization of all people," I see as a powerful statement on the reality of the history of African-Americans in this country. The only ones who should feel demoralized are the ones who continue to inflict "stripes and death" onto others. There is a well known African saying that "the way out is back through." The American version is that we should learn from our past. The reason people keep looking to the past (in order to learn so we can move forward) is because America as a country has not learned from the past. As a result, we keep making the same mistakes over and over again from generation to generation. When we as a country start living the reality of the Declaration of Independence and the Civil Rights Act, we won't have to keep reflecting on racial injustices of the past.

Dear Eric B-- I would like to say that I agree with you but I think it is to certain groups' advantage to always look back and pick that scab of the past. If it were to heal; lots of people would be out of jobs. Maybe you want to wait till we are perfect. I'm glad the founding fathers did the best they could and did not have that attitude. It is so easy to look back in judgment of what others 'should have' done. They did their best at their time. DOn't judge them from our time. THat's not fair.

I think we should celebrate how far we have come and strive to do better. The perfect is the enemy of the good and it is paralyzing. I think we have learned and suffered plenty for mistakes of the past. Perfect? No. Better? Yes. I don't like looking back when it keeps you from looking forward. Besides; the historical revisionists want to erase the past anyway so what's to look at??

@CityYankee, In my comment, where did I say we need to be perfect and where did I judge anyone and say what they should have done? You missed the entire point of my comment. We look back so we can reflect on and learn from the past. America has not done that. America hasn't lived up to the promises America has made on paper, so we look back to remind America of what America has promised, but not yet fulfilled for all. Are things better than they were in 1865 and 1964? Yes. Are things good enough so we can stop chasing the perfect? No. When African-Americans stop getting unjustly killed by law enforcement officers in broad daylight while other officers are just watching, I'll celebrate. When African-Americans stop getting shot and killed while doing nothing but going out for a run, I'll celebrate. When America stops supporting divisive, racist, xenophobic leaders who make America take two steps back for every one step forward, I'll celebrate. Until then, others can celebrate what has brought them light and healing, while I and others who look like me remember, lament, and work to improve what has brought us stripes and death.

DearEricBSmith--- We both agree that things are better but we have more to do. Of course.
Your comments led me to believe that good is never good enough until perfect. If you can't celebrate until everything is perfect; that's fine. I wish for everything you wish for but I choose to celebrate our past as I look forward to a better future. I also subscribe to the belief that we humans are flawed and imperfect. We try but I fear there is not utopia to be found in this life. Maybe in the next life. I still hope and strive for better as you do but I won't spend my limited time on this earth mourning that everything is not the way I want it. Thank you for explaining. Your comments are very thought-provoking, even if we don't agree 100%.

Last year I got to read it at The Beinicke Library---One of my favorite libraries in the world! This year due to Covid19, we had to find another way to carry on the tradition... Filming it in parts was a wonderful way to bring these words to life. It was my pleasure and honor to read these words by Mr. Douglass! And to do so at The Institute Library downtown New Haven where Frederick Douglass visited and spoke was profoundly holy and moving.

It is chilling and heartbreaking and humbling that these words ring so true in 2020. In 1776 Africans were not American, but enslaved people. Fugitive Slave laws were annulled in 1862 becoming formal under The Emancipation Proclamation of 1863.

Frederick Douglass gave this rousing speech July 5,1852. AFRICANS WERE ENSLAVED! So this is more than just looking back. This is understanding history and the evil (White) men do.

I invite folks to read about this particular period of time to understand fully America's missteps and broken promises to not only to Africans stolen but to others harmed in this great experiment of freedom, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But most importantly a story of Africans who endured and triumphed against great odds. Who at this moment of time are not seeking revenge, but equality.

"What to the Slave is your 4th of July" is a wonderful rich oration for discernment and contemplation in 2020 and every year since 1852 and well after 2020. There are many of us who read and take new meaning in the words as we read it annually. We've come so far and still we have so far to go. America is a great experiment in democracy and her ideals ought to be revisited and challenged through the ages. We are in such a moment.

The "evil" white men that Babz refers to were hand in hand with Arab & African slavers. And it was the "evil" white Europeans who ended the slave trade; while the Arabs and African slavers fought them too th and nail.

I agree that Douglass' address was powerful, and he referred to 1852 and not 2020. Today, he might be calling out Libya and Saudi Arabia and Malaysia for human trafficking. (See Thomas Sowell's "Black Rednecks and White Liberals")
I especially agree with your words that we have come so far and that this great experiment in democracy is not done yet in forming a more perfect system but we will never give up-- and thank God for that!