5925 Jock Road
Bahama
NC
Help our friends at Stagville State Historic Site commemorate Independence Day with a community reading of Frederick Douglass’ powerful Fourth of July address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” This is a participatory event! They will provide copies of the speech to all attendees (English or Spanish available), and volunteers will read it out loud together at Horton Grove.
Douglass’ words still resonate today, inviting us to reflect on the history of slavery and the promises of freedom. Douglass delivered this powerful abolitionist speech on July 5, 1852 at an Independence Day celebration: “There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven, that does not know that slavery is wrong for him.”
Bring a chair or blanket to sit on the grounds. This free event will last about 1 hour, with the option to tour the original slave dwellings at Horton Grove available afterwards. Email [email protected] or call (919) 620-0120 for more information about this program.
You can also see a video excerpt here, from their last in-person reading in 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgInKbHKT4s&feature=youtu.be
