In his 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, Frederick Douglass voices an authentic critique on the “peculiar institution” of American slavery. In a constructive yet patriotic tone, he argues for the end of slavery and for the realization of full racial equality. The language that the famed abolitionist leader develops within his oration provides a framework to approach issues of ethnic discrimination that exist in our modern world. In particular, Douglass’ historical declamation can be employed to analyze the recent event concerning the vandalism and ethnic targeting of Asian-American students at Columbia University.
Douglass, who lived during a time in which abolition was considered radical and unpatriotic, uses his rhetoric …show more content…
He notes that “they were peace men; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage. They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression….with them, justice, liberty, and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression” (4). By underscoring that America’s founding fathers were heroes that refused to remain silent in the face of injustice, Douglass indicates that abolitionists must likewise refuse to be passive in the face of slavery and racism. In a parallel manner, Asian-American students at Columbia University recently reacted to a racially-induced incident during Chinese New Year in which name tags were ripped off the doors of students with East Asian names. The Asian American Alliance (AAA) at Columbia University released a statement condemning such actions as an unacceptable and racist attempt to incite fear among their community. Moreover, they released a video titled “Say My Name”. In this simple yet powerful …show more content…
More specifically, he claims that “your father’s have lived, died, and have done their work, and have done. You live and must die, and you must do your work” (5). Douglass stresses that slavery shamefully contradicts the values America was constructed upon, particularly the principles of liberty and justice embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. He thereby places the question of what it means to be an American patriot in a unique light, arguing that it entails a commitment to the principle “that all men are created equal” (14). By highlighting the tensions between traditional principles and the contemporary reality, Douglass suggests that the critique of slavery in America is a form of patriotism rather than dissent. Douglass thus uses traditional American principles to indict the current status quo and achieve full equality for
Douglass, who lived during a time in which abolition was considered radical and unpatriotic, uses his rhetoric …show more content…
He notes that “they were peace men; but they preferred revolution to peaceful submission to bondage. They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression….with them, justice, liberty, and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression” (4). By underscoring that America’s founding fathers were heroes that refused to remain silent in the face of injustice, Douglass indicates that abolitionists must likewise refuse to be passive in the face of slavery and racism. In a parallel manner, Asian-American students at Columbia University recently reacted to a racially-induced incident during Chinese New Year in which name tags were ripped off the doors of students with East Asian names. The Asian American Alliance (AAA) at Columbia University released a statement condemning such actions as an unacceptable and racist attempt to incite fear among their community. Moreover, they released a video titled “Say My Name”. In this simple yet powerful …show more content…
More specifically, he claims that “your father’s have lived, died, and have done their work, and have done. You live and must die, and you must do your work” (5). Douglass stresses that slavery shamefully contradicts the values America was constructed upon, particularly the principles of liberty and justice embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. He thereby places the question of what it means to be an American patriot in a unique light, arguing that it entails a commitment to the principle “that all men are created equal” (14). By highlighting the tensions between traditional principles and the contemporary reality, Douglass suggests that the critique of slavery in America is a form of patriotism rather than dissent. Douglass thus uses traditional American principles to indict the current status quo and achieve full equality for