Headline Roundup • July 4th, 2020

Many Invoke Frederick Douglass' Words Amid Racial Tensions this Fourth of July

Holidays,Race And Racism,History,Fourth Of July,General News

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Amid racial tensions and disputes over historical monuments this Fourth of July, many invoke the words of abolitionist, writer and former slave Frederick Douglass. Some of Douglass' works include a letter about a monument he dedicated in Washington, D.C. in 1876. The letter explored the ways monuments open up spaces for public dialogue, and the limits to which monuments convey historical truths. Douglass' 1852 Independence Day address "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" is both a criticism of racism and slavery and a praise of the American Revolution. Coverage from all sides of the political spectrum highlighted Douglass' speech; NPR tweeted a video of Douglass' descendants reciting the address. Coverage from the left tended to focus on the parallels between Douglass' time and now, while right-rated outlets also emphasized Douglass' praise of the American Revolution. Some center-rated outlets also featured Douglass' nuanced perspective when it came to monuments.

Featured Coverage of this Story

Frederick Douglass' descendants recite his famous speech about July 4th

CNN Digital

See rating details

Frederick Douglass' descendants recite his famous speech about July 4th

CNN Digital

News

(CNN)For the Fourth of July, Frederick Douglass' descendants read excerpts of his famous speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

Douglass, an abolitionist who fought for social reform in the 1800s, delivered the speech on July 5, 1852 at an Independence Day celebration, pointing out the hypocrisy in the holiday and in the Founding Fathers' ideals.

On Saturday, five of Douglass' descendants -- Douglass Washington Morris II, 20, Isidore Dharma Douglass Skinner, 15, Zoë Douglass Skinner, 12, Alexa Anne Watson, 19 and Haley Rose Watson, 17 --...

Open on CNN Digital

What Frederick Douglass Had to Say About Monuments

Smithsonian Magazine

See rating details

Analysis

Frederick Douglass, with typical historical foresight, outlined a solution to the current impasse over a statue he dedicated in Washington, D.C., in 1876. Erected a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol, in a square called Lincoln Park, the so-called Emancipation Memorial depicts Abraham Lincoln standing beside a formerly enslaved African-American man in broken shackles, down on one knee—rising or crouching, depending on who you ask. As the nation continues to debate the meaning of monuments and memorials, and as local governments and protesters alike take them down, the Lincoln Park...

Open on Smithsonian Magazine

Slavery, the Declaration of Independence and Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"

Reason

See rating details

Analysis

July 4 is an appropriate time to remember Frederick Douglass' famous 1852 speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" The speech is—for good reason—most famous for its powerful condemnation of slavery, racism, and American hypocrisy. But it also includes passages praising the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers. Both are worth remembering.

Open on Reason

More headline roundups