In the summer of 2020, the U.S. commemorated Independence Day amid nationwide protests for racial justice and systemic reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s death. That June, NPR asked five young descendants of Frederick Douglass to read and respond to excerpts of his famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”. It’s a powerful, historical text that reminds us of the ongoing work of liberation.
FEATURING (alphabetically) 20-year-old Douglass Washington Morris II, 15-year-old Isidore Dharma Douglass Skinner, 12-year-old Zoë Douglass Skinner, 19-year-old Alexa Anne Watson, and 17-year-old Haley Rose Watson
You can read the full text of “What To The Slave Is The Fourth of July?” here.
