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


  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio January 9, 2026
    09 Jan 2026
    In this week’s segment, we discuss why Israel is the first and only nation to recognize the Somaliland region of Somalia and the impact of this act on the Horn of Africa region. But we begin with a…
  • Pro-Venezuela protest
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Solidarity with Venezuela and Opposition to U.S. Aggression and Kidnapping of the Maduros
    09 Jan 2026
    The U.S. attack on Venezuela and kidnapping of the president and first lady are the culmination of years of intervention against that state. Corinna Mullin discusses the importance of anti-…
  • Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Destabilizes the Horn of Africa
    09 Jan 2026
    Israel is the first and only nation to recognize the Somaliland region of Somalia as an independent state. The zionist entity's plan to establish a military presence will enhance the U.S. decades-…
  • Venezuelan support for Maduro
    ​​​​​​​ Ajamu Baraka, BAR editor and columnist , Larry Johnson
    U.S. Aggression Against Venezuela
    07 Jan 2026
    Director of the North-South Project for People(s)-Centered Human Rights, Ajamu Baraka, joins Spotlight on Press TV to analyze the latest developments in Venezuela, how and why this illegal…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Venezuela 2026: Black Agenda Report Special Issue
    07 Jan 2026
    Black Agenda Report Special Issue on Venezuela.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us