LAD/Blog #17: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" Speech

On July 5th, 1953,  Frederick Douglass delivered one of his most moving speech that would come to be known as Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" speech. The central idea of the speech is the injustices of slavery. He is flabbergasted how a country civilized could commit such atrocities. He starts by addressing the holiday Independence Day or the 4th of July. He believes it is a white mans holiday and is mocking, as all were supposed to be created equal yet that is not the case. He saw slavery as revolting and hated it.
He then proclaims that black men are equal and should have the same opportunities as the white men. Among blacks there were doctors, lawyers and ministers and that they shouldn't have their wages taken from them or discriminated against. It is obvious that slavery is horrible system.
The 4th of July is a constant reminder of the injustice and inequality a slave faces everyday. He does not partake in the celebration, as he considers it a mask for the injustices of blacks.
Similar to Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out for the black people of America. Martin Luther's "I Have a Dream" speech brought attention to the inequality of blacks and whites as did Douglass' speech.

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