We begin our July Fourth special broadcast with the words of Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery around 1818, Douglass became a key leader of the abolitionist movement. On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Douglass gave one of his most famous speeches, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” He was addressing the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society. The late actor James Earl Jones read the historic address during a performance of Voices of a People’s History of the United States, which was co-edited by Howard Zinn.
O! had I the ability, and could I reach the nation’s ear, I would, today, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.
Danny Glover has a recitation that I like too. The National Archives had a recitation of a much longer version of the speech with additional context: https://www.youtube.com/live/uRvQL8-Qokg
There are some ways that Mr. Douglass’s words are fortunately no longer true, but in many many many other ways are still very unfortunately still relevant.
I had not seen this before, thank you for sharing
Hunh. We’re still calling this <gestures wide> “democracy”? 😶
Today. (Of all days.)
After the recent several hundred, et al? Truly?
Alright, then. 🥲
So, um. Apropos of nothing… ahem. Any plans to stop lying to each other anytime in the near future? Asking for a friend. 🤷🏼♂️
It’s because we have organizations promoting democracy who make their money on the fight and not the win.
It’s like the healthcare industry, why cure when you can forever treat?
Truth. ✊🏼
I mean, FFS. The “right to repair” movement gets more traction (heh) than our right to health — and they’re essentially the same gawdamned thing!
Corpo interests should never obstruct the will of the people. 🤮
Agreed, but it will always win until the people are willing to fight back. And, fighting back with “non-profit organizations” is just that same never ending loop.
It’s tough to consider what the actual answer would be, because removing the problem is like removing weeds—if you let them live, they come back eventually.
We’re a handful of years away (at best) from never being allowed to do anything like that again, at any scale: individual to international.
The jungle is loud with outcry. The jungle continues to burn. The jungle will soon be only a lesson to silence you with.
