It’s late in the day, but I’m continuing my annual tradition of sharing Frederick Douglass’ powerful and insightful speech “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro” (best known by its most famous sentence, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?”) as read by the late James Earl Jones. It continues to move me despite a dozen or more viewings. It’s also worth reading the speech in its entirety (archived for posterity). As I noted last year, it’s “both eye-opening and depressing,” with “countless passages uncomfortably analogous to our current moment.” Do yourself a favor and read it in a comfy chair. It’s meaty, and deserves a careful and considered review.