The holiday wherein we celebrate our independence from what was seen as an oppressive government that suppressed the rights of those living in the American colonies. Yet, even as Americans opposed tyranny for themselves, they in turn imposed tyranny on others through slavery.

An even more celebration of liberty for all should be held on Juneteenth. On that day even the most remote of slaves learned that they had been freed from the shackles of slavery. But this declaration of universal freedom would also be illusory for people of color in the US as Jim Crow laws limited freedom for them.

While great strides were made in the 1950s to the early 2000s we have never seen the full equality that the Declaration of Independence promised. Now with avowed supemacists holding power in our nations capitol and in many states we see a retrenchment of liberties not only for people of color but also for women and immigrants.

With that beief synopsis, let us once again view the Fourth of July speech by Frederick Douglass in 1852 to the Rochester, New York Ladies anti-Slavery society. 1852 was nearly a decade before the Civil War to help give some context to Douglass’ speech. This version is introduced by Amy Goodman and Howard Zinn: