Through the Eyes of a Negro

This week was EYE-opening to say the least. When people think "America", they think of "independence","freedom", and "equality". We Americans thoughtlessly celebrate the Fourth of July with countless spectacles of fireworks one year after another. But not once has it crossed my mind that this celebration could, on the contrary, be a day of mockery to someone else.  In "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro", Frederick Douglass rips apart all these supposed characteristics of the USA that we Americans pride ourselves in. One of the key aspects of the holiday that the writer focuses on is how the Fourth of July only highlights the flaws of the country. The "great principles of political freedom and natural justice" (Douglass 1) that citizens rejoiced over were not extended to American slaves. I found this situation to be especially ironic because after finally declaring independence from British rule, the United States unknowingly placed the same injustices upon their own citizens; the cries for freedom and sacrificial rebellion were all meaningless. Aside from the many contradictory issues that Douglass brought to light, he also made a valid point in saying, "Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man?" (Douglass 2) Do I need evidence to say that I am who I am? Is my name not Emily Wang if I don't have evidence on paper to prove it? What more is needed for a black man to proclaim that he is just as deserving of his human rights as any other person on this planet, white, yellow, or brown. Frederick Douglas points out that some people in his audience tell him that maybe if he argued more and denounced less that his cause would be more successful, but he rebuked that there was nothing to argue about, and in this conclusion he is absolutely correct. The black man is every bit human as the white man, and therefore, is just as qualified to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Having been given a peek at another race's perspective of the Fourth of July, I don't think I can possibly continue with just going through the motions of fireworks and laughter in the years to come.