Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

"What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
01 Jul 2022
🖨️ Print Article

Black Agenda Radio · "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis

On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass was asked to speak on the topic of the nation’s independence celebration. Now known as "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?", the speech was a stinging indictment of slavery in the U.S., but the words are still relevant to Black people 170 years later. The late Ossie Davis read excerpts from Douglass’s remarks.

Slavery in U.S.
Frederick Douglass

Related Podcasts

Frederick Douglass
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
"What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" read by Ossie Davis
03 July 2024
As we grow closer to the Fourth of July, BAR once again shares
Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Twenty Dollars and Change: Harriet Tubman and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice and Democracy
03 March 2023
Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio July 1, 2022
01 July 2022
We discuss reproductive justice in the wake of the supreme court ruling which overturned the Roe v. Wade decision.

More Stories


  • Julia Wright
    Behind French uprising: Impact of de-colonialization in Global South
    21 Oct 2026
    The 2026 French uprising is a continuation of the anti-colonial struggle, rooted in the 1961 Paris massacre of Algerians and the ongoing neocolonial relationship between France and its former…
  • Edward Rhymes
    What Changes For Palestine?
    21 Oct 2026
    Disregard for Palestinian rights is a feature of Israeli politics rather than a bug. The upcoming Knesset election will change nothing for Palestinians, because every candidate across the political…
  • Orinoco Tribune
    Colombia’s First National Strike Against De la Espriella Met With Police Crackdown
    21 Oct 2026
    Thousands of people took to the streets across Colombia on Wednesday in the first national strike against President Abelardo de la Espriella’s administration, as police used tear gas, rubber bullets…
  • Issa G Shivji
    Positioning Pan-Africanism In The Geopolitical Turmoil
    21 Oct 2026
    As we are experiencing a world order in disorder, with war and conflagrations and a shifting balance of power, Issa Shivji calls for a Sovereign Pan-African Project. The analyses recap the…
  • BAR Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Report October 16, 2026
    16 Oct 2026
    In this week’s segment, we see through supposed disagreements between the US and Canada and recognize their partnership in settler colonialism, enslavement, and imperialism. But we begin with a…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us