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Francis Scott Key's Am I Truly Free

194 Words1 Pages
Try as one may, it is hard to convince blacks that the national anthem was written with them in mind. Francis Scott Key’s nearness to slavery, and his limited view of freedom and equality, makes it impossible to separate him from his own distasteful words. While the national anthem celebrates the victory of America over the British and is patriotic in that sense, the 3rd stanza serves as a reminder of the ugly legacy of black slavery. It forces blacks to raise the age old question: Am I truly free? Is America the land of the free? The contradictory principles in the national anthem and the reality of American society, regarding the treatment of blacks are what compelled Kaepernick to protest. The Star-Spangled Banner was right for the time
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Americans have lost their lives for centuries in exchange for our nation’s freedom, but is every citizen really free? President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed congress following a police beat down during a peaceful protest in Selma, Alabama. The protest led by Martin Luther King became a turning point in American history; attacks on African American’s at Selma sparked reason in the eyes of many. Johnson used his address to Congress as a call to action, his goal was to ensure freedom and equality for all citizens; they shall not face persecution for the color of their skin. “We Shall Overcome” suggests that the text focuses on the constitutionality of the police beat down in Selma, Alabama and the concern of how our nation will overcome the issues of racism.

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From the first day that children enter a school system, they are taught how to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and how to honor and respect their country. Good citizenship should be an integral part of our lives so that we can live harmoniously in our society. This is what patriotism should symbolize in our country. However, in the article "Understanding Black Patriotism", Michael Eric Dyson reminds us that sometimes people can take patriotism too far and we can become very critical of people in America. He suggests that black people have been misunderstood and misjudged throughout history.

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1032 Words | 5 Pages

To begin, he uses emotional appeal to create powerful imagery to persuade the reader that celebrating freedom is wrong when slavery still exists. He announces, “fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions, whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today rendered more intolerable by the jubilant shouts that reach them” (para. 4). By creating a picture in the audience’s mind of other people’s cries of freedom deriding slaves, they begin to feel ashamed for being so cheerful while African Americans have no liberty. The readers have recognized that they are being hypocrites by supporting slavery while boasting about their freedom as a country, which leads them to begin wanting to

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873 Words | 4 Pages

Although a century apart, Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and Frederick Douglass’s What to a Slave is the fourth of July are kindred spirits. Notwithstanding the many differences in their respective writing styles, deep down the essence of the message conveyed is still very much the same. Both Martin Luther King Junior and Frederick Douglas had similar beliefs and concepts related to the treatment of the African American community. They both describe a tough yet heart breaking situation that makes them question their moral values and doubt the system and its ability to change for better.

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828 Words | 4 Pages

He questions his audience of the significance of Independence Day to slaves, and he answers it in an extremely contrasting way: “your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; … your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery,” that the celebration is “a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.” Douglass dismisses the national pride, characterizing it as a mere expression of people’s ignorance. The antithesis, with “greatness” being “vanity,” “sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless,” and “shouts of liberty and equality” being “hollow mockery,” provokes shock and anger from the audience, who have just been part of it and are now degraded as “savages.” However, Douglass was not trying to be inflammatory but provocative, witnessing the pathetic enthusiasm in the anniversary, that people feel exuberant about themselves while ignoring the saddening

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1132 Words | 5 Pages

The Civil rights movement was a long and hard fight for freedom in our nation. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the many people who devoted themselves and fought for the movement. He did it in hope to make the world a better place. Outraged and indignant, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham city jail” addresses the events that took place in the name of freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. reflects on the events, through his use of tone, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical tools.

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Throughout Douglass's speech, he exceeds expectations by adding excellent examples of ethos, pathos, and unique tone. These examples help the audience see his viewpoints and helps him connect with them. The literary devices used in his speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, aided in his fight against

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1657 Words | 7 Pages

“The Hypocrisy of American Slavery: Slavery at its best” Frederick Douglass an activist for anti racism and also an abolitionist’s speech “The Hypocrisy of Slavery” was given on the occasion of celebrating the independence day. Here, in this speech he actually brought out some questions like why we should celebrate Independence Day while almost four million people were kept chained as a slave. He actually mocked the fact of the people of America’s double standards which is that they are singing out the song of liberty, on the other hand holding the chain of slavery. Frederick Douglass, a former American-African slave who managed to escape from his slavery and later on became an abolitionist gave this speech on Fourth of July,

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The article discusses the view Frederick Douglass has regarding slave music and how it represents the core of slavery. Stuckey states that there is a link between the slave spirituals and the advent of the blues. He also investigates the influence Douglass had on Du Bois. Du Bois idea regarding the beginnings of slave music has a direct lineage back to Frederick Douglass accounts according to Stuckey. Douglass did not discern a difference between the music heard within the “Ring Shout” and the anguish that rose from the fields as the slaves sang away the tedious day of field labor.

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2333 Words | 10 Pages

Douglass establishes his credibility and authority on the issue of slavery and inequality in the United States by drawing on his own experience and expertise. He begins the speech by introducing himself as a former slave and expressing his sadness and disappointment at the Fourth of July festivities which celebrate the nation’s independence while ignoring the ongoing oppression of African Americans. He says, “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us.” By acknowledging his own identity as a former slave, Douglass gives himself immediate credibility on the issue of slavery and inequality.

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

In 1776, on July 4th, the 13 English colonies officially declared their freedom from England. However, as the years progressed, slavery became incorporated into everyday American life. In 1852, Frederick Douglass, a former slave, was called upon to deliver a speech to celebrate America’s independence; however, he censured Americans for saying they were a “country of the free”. In the speech, Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Frederick Douglass declares that Americans should not be celebrating their freedom when there are slaves living in the country. He uses emotional appeal, ethical appeal, and rhetorical questions to convince his audience that Americans are wrong celebrating freedom on the 4th of July when slavery exists in their country.

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517 Words | 3 Pages

“... O say does that star spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Nearly every American can recite the final lines of our National Anthem. However, few take the time to truly contemplate the meaning of these words. When I hear these phrases, I think of the principles on which our country was founded: the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. But perhaps more important than these rights are the defenders of them: our veterans.

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804 Words | 4 Pages

King’s dialect showed the audience civil right issues, involving many rhetorical strategies using ethos, logos, and pathos, to a racially tempered crowd whom he viewed as different, but not equal. From the very beginning of it , King brings his crowd back to the origin of America when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, that freed all slaves and gave hope to the former slaves. But immediately after Dr. King speaks out on how after 100 years Blacks still do not have the free will that is deserved. He points out the irony of America because Black Americans were still not truly free.

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762 Words | 4 Pages

whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, to-day, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them.” Douglas’s use of vivid imagery and onomatopoeia constructs a vivid display of the terrific treatment that many African-American slaves endured. The Declaration of Independence claimed that all men possess the right to obtain life, liberty, and property. To

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616 Words | 3 Pages

Imagine our society if Martin Luther King Jr. never fought for African American civil rights. People can not ponder the thought of today’s reality without equal rights. He did fight for equal rights and even gave his life to do so. King wrote “The Letter from Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963 to defend peaceful protests or nonviolent resistance which is the reason he was arrested. It also says, people have the right to take direct action, because African Americans are getting tired of waiting.

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