—Kevin Chen
I believe that “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” by Douglass is considered to be an established “great work” text. In my opinion, this piece of writing really emphasized on a very specific and unprecedented perspective during its time. It’s an educational moment for people who aren’t exposed to the life of an African-American and what the Declaration of Independence means to them. Through Douglass’s speech, he touched upon the past, the present, and the future in a very fashioned manner. He recognized each of those time periods and elaborated on what has already been done as well as what he hopes the future generation will work on as a unit. While giving praise to how the holiday is celebrated and cherished throughout the American society, he also heavily emphasized that “this Fourth is yours, not mine”. As a result, he’s giving positive praises to the demands of his audience, but he is also providing a hidden message of misrepresentation. Federick Douglass spoke on behalf of all Americans to highlight what he is speaking for as well and this is a speech based on pathos. By subjecting the white people to a jovial celebration, he juxtaposed with the African-Americans that are living a life of constant threats and lack of independence. Douglass knows that such issues on the minority will be an uphill and grave battle, however he still mentioned the future with his few minutes on the platform. African-Americans will not be justified with celebrating the Declaration of Independence for they’re not free. That is why many years later, after slaves were freed, African-Americans would celebrate their actual “Independence Day” on a holiday/event now known as Juneteenth. I learned from an Original Netflix Reality Series titled “#blackAF” that many African-Americans take this celebratory event very seriously and little do many know that this is a reflection of what Federick Douglass has hoped for. The freedom of slavery is much more important than the freedom of the land of America, and thus Frederick’s speech gives a face to an important matter that will continue to be celebrated and acknowledged. Although racism isn’t completely gone, there will be further improvements and further movements that will continue to grow. As a result, I genuinely believe that due to the historical impact of this speech coming from a very special figure in the slavery movement, makes “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” a great work.
