Bending the Arc

On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Each month, we will share an article inviting reflection on this anniversary, the current state of our democracy, and our personal role in its maintenance. 

On July 5, 1852, abolitionist Frederick Douglass was asked “to deliver a Fourth of July Oration” to a mostly white audience. He delivered his speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (also known as "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?") at an event commemorating the 76th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Rochester, New York. Douglass began the speech with praise for the principles that led to the Declaration of Independence.

Feeling themselves harshly and unjustly treated, by the home government, your fathers, like men of honesty, and men of spirit, earnestly sought redress. They petitioned and remonstrated; they did so in a decorous, respectful, and loyal manner. Their conduct was wholly unexceptionable. This, however, did not answer the purpose. They saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference, coldness and scorn. Yet they persevered. They were not the men to look back. 

His hour-long speech reflected on how the independence being celebrated was far from universal. 

The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.

He did not give up hope that the nation could improve, though. He celebrated that the United States was still young and had room to grow improve.

… nations number their years by thousands. According to this fact, you are, even now, only in the beginning of your national career, still lingering in the period of childhood. I repeat, I am glad this is so. There is hope in the thought, and hope is much needed, under the dark clouds which lower above the horizon. 

Eleven years after Douglass' Speech, The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863.  

It took another 23 months for the executive order to be ratified as the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, on December 6, 1865.

And another seven months beyond that for the news of freedom to reach people who were still enslaved in Texas on June 19, 1865. 

Despite the abolition of slavery, it still continues in many forms today usually via human trafficking. This crime occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will. It is a crime under state, federal and international law and is currently the second-largest type of criminal activity, exceeded only by the illegal drug trade.

Our work to maintain and expand independence is far from over, but as Douglass celebrated the constant opportunity for improvement, so do we.

Read the full speech

Watch a dramatic recreation of the speech courtesy of the US National Archives:

Reflect

1. As I listen to Douglass' speech, which parts still seem true in today's United States?
2. Do I have the same hope as Douglass for the continued improvement of our democracy?
3. What hoped-for changes does this inspire in me, and how can I be part of bringing those changes into reality?

Learn more about CSA's “US at 250” initiatives