Challenge the Narrative this Fourth of July
On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass stood before an audience in Rochester, New York, and delivered one of the most searing indictments of American hypocrisy ever spoken: "What to the American Slave is your Fourth of July?" His words forced the nation to confront the deep contradiction between its ideals of freedom and the reality of slavery.
Download a free copy of the full speech here
Douglass's speech continues to challenge us today—to question who gets to tell the story of America, and whose voices have been left out. This Fourth of July, we invite you to reflect deeply on the history you’ve been taught—and to seek out the stories that were silenced.
We encourage you to explore the complex, diverse histories of this country—told by Native Americans, Black Americans, immigrants, women, and others who have shaped it in profound ways.
Visit our bookstores to discover powerful works like A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, and many more that illuminate the American experience from multiple perspectives.
This Independence Day, challenge what you've been taught. Speak up when called to. And keep reading.
