From The Amsterdam News: The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass

"At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation’s ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced. " - Frederick Douglass

If you are actually here reading this, congratulations for being of sound mind and conscience.  Be prepared, you will also need patience, stamina and a willingness to elevate your awareness and intellect, as you may discover or be reminded that we of the 21st Century have no monopoly on any of those elements.  

Teachers instruct us of what has passed and inspire us towards what we can accomplish, and that has always been important; no less than it is now. We must acknowledge at the very least how very critical their influence is on our communities, nations and the entire globe.  

Because, as you may have noticed, they have become an endangered class in this society in and of itself. What we may fail to realize is that this country is not unique in that circumstance; ask any refugee from despotic and war-torn territories of the past and present what the imperative of education was to the leadership that governed them.  What possibly is unique to this nation, however, is the amount of celebration, adulation, ceremony and reverence we have in imitating those same circumstances, disguising it as a movement towards a perceived greatness that has somehow escaped us.  

It has not. The fact is, the moments of greatness in this country's history throughout have continually been overshadowed by generations of regression to a status quo that was established well before its founding.  

If you don't believe me, then perhaps you can read the words of a teacher. I've provided one here on this day for review.  If you find yourself deeming his words prophetic, I will not argue with that. My only request is that you finish what you start before adding your thoughts.  If your heart and mind are as dedicated to this request as it may be to celebrating a point in time when men believed in a cause that changed world history, then maybe you'll see where we are and where we need to go from there.  

Continue To: The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro by Frederick Douglass; published by The Amsterdam News