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Racism Never Died In Virginia Analysis

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A Dream Postponed
Frederick Douglass was an African American public speaker from Maryland who escaped from slavery. He was born a slave, however, despite his limited abilities to receive an education, he managed to learn to read and write. When he turned 21, he escaped slavery and fled to Massachusetts. In 1852, Douglass gave a speech called, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July?” as he was gathered around by hundreds of abolitionists in Rochester, New York. His argument was that the celebration of America’s independence was hypocritical because of the discrimination African Americans and other minorities faced while living in this supposedly “free” country. One of the primary dreams Frederick Douglass hoped was for every American, regardless of race, gender, or religion, can feel equal to one …show more content…

Yes, American slavery has been completely abolished. Although many people treat African Americans unequally throughout the nation. In the article, “Racism Never Died in Virginia,” author Doug Stafford reveals the sad truth in the year 1968, Virginia citizens showed no tolerance for black students to be educated in public white schools. He states, “Rather than comply and allow the black students, the public schools in Charlottesville and elsewhere in Virginia closed…. White students had relocated to private schools with “segregation grants.” to pay tuition.” Actions like this show the ignorance of citizens in America that refuse to show fairness to the colored. Also, a white nationalist rally occurred right after the recent incident in Charlottesville on August 12, 2017. As told by the New York Mag, “20-year-old white nationalist James Alex Fields, plowed his car into a group of counterprotestors, killing one person, 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuring 19.” Events like this represent the violent acts and hatred of America hasn’t left and is still current

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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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