July 4: A Celebration for Some, a Reminder for Others

By Jordan Wethington, Graduate Intern

Every July 4th, the skies of America ignite with fireworks, and towns echo with patriotic pride. But within the red, white and blue celebrations lies a deep historical contradiction that Frederick Douglass outlined on July 5, 1852: This Fourth of July is yours not mine.

Douglass, who was born into slavery and self-emancipated, asked: “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?” His answer, a “sham,” a “hollow mockery,” a cruel celebration of liberty in a nation shackled by slavery.

Douglass did not dismiss the Founding Fathers. He praised their courage, calling them “brave men” who laid the cornerstone of American democracy. But he held the country accountable for betraying those ideals. While White Americans rejoiced in freedom, millions of Black people were enslaved.

His critique went deeper when he exposed the institutions that protected slavery, particularly the church and the Constitution. He condemned American Christianity for aligning with slaveholders rather than the enslaved. He rejected the notion that religion could justify bondage.

Amid the fury of his speech, Douglass never relinquished hope. He believed in America's potential, its founding documents and its people. He called the Constitution a glorious liberty document one that could be reclaimed to dismantle slavery. He urged Americans to live up to the promise of liberty and justice for all.

More than 170 years later, his words remain relevant. As we honor America’s birth, we must reflect on how our choices uphold or betray our values. Who is still left out of the promise? Until every American can fully claim the Fourth of July as their own, Douglass’s cry must remain our challenge.