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Examples Of Frederick Douglass Evaluating America's Current Reality

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Joel Zacharias Dr. Cameron CIE 200 13 February 2024 In the Footsteps of Douglass: Evaluating America's Current Reality. Dear Mr. Frederick Douglass, Your autobiography and powerful speech, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?," has left an enduring mark on America that continues to resonate long after your passing. Your courageous narrative of the horrors of slavery has inspired generations of activists and leaders to continue the struggle for civil rights and social justice. Your words have helped awaken the conscience of the nation, sparking movements that have challenged systemic inequality. Your legacy has paved the way for progress towards a more just society, reminding us of the ongoing fight for freedom and human rights for …show more content…

For instance, you narrate, “I could see no reason why I should, at the end of each week, pour the reward of my toil into the purse of my master. When I carried to him my weekly wages, he would, after counting the money, look me in the face with a robber-like fierceness” (Douglass 78). This quote highlights the economic disparities between the enslaved individuals and their white owners in antebellum America. You reveal the inherent injustice of the economic system that allowed slave masters to profit from the labor of enslaved individuals without providing them with fair wages or compensation. The fact that the slaveholder displayed a "robber-like fierceness" upon receiving their hard-earned wages demonstrates the exploitation and cruelty that characterized the economic relationship between slave owners and their enslaved workers. Your quote also resonates with contemporary issues of economic inequality, where wages and compensation for labor remain unjustly distributed across racial and class lines. The persistence of economic disparities highlights the ongoing legacy of slavery and discrimination in the United States. Similarly, sociologist Matthew Desmond found that “in 2019, the median white household had a net worth of $188,200, compared with $24,100 for the median Black household” (Nova). The stark economic disparities revealed by Matthew Desmond's findings demonstrate that America is failing to fulfill its vision for the country. Despite advancements in civil rights, the vast wealth gap between white and Black households perpetuates systemic inequality and limits upward mobility for Black individuals. You envisioned a more equitable society where individuals are judged by their character and abilities rather than the color of their skin, yet the

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