New York Times Op-Ed: Frederick Douglass Knew What False Patriotism Was, by Esau McCaulley (Wheaton; Author, Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope (2020)):
In 1852 Frederick Douglass delivered what may be his most famous address, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” This time of year, quotations from the speech dart around Black social media as a subtle pushback on uncomplicated celebrations of American independence.
Douglass wondered what the enslaved might say if they were called from the plantations to reflect on themes of liberty, justice and equality. How might their words differ from the prose of the free orators normally asked to comment on American ideals? There is a revolution in the reorientation of perspective, when the powerless are given space to speak. That hasn’t changed.
On Independence Day, what would those who lost loved ones in the Buffalo mass shooting have to say about justice in America? If we summoned Black women, who disproportionally experience death and trauma during childbirth, to reflect on the inalienable right to life, what hard truths might we hear about their fears for themselves and their unborn children? What musings about liberty could we expect from those who endure unjust sentencing or are pulled over for driving while Black?
Our nation’s problems and the litany of lingering injustices are not unknown to us, but there is a certain pressure to put our complaints aside around this holiday in particular. On the Fourth of July we are encouraged to unfurl our flags, belt out a rendition of “God Bless America” and grill burgers in humble gratitude. …
Our country wants a certain version of the American story told and will laud anyone willing to tell it. But uncritical celebration is a limited and false definition of patriotism. Instead, recounting the full story of America and asking it to be better than it is can be an expression of love. …
Douglass’s patriotism was more than resistance. In the early years of the Civil War, he saw signs of unity and hope. In 1862 he delivered another July Fourth speech. As David Blight notes in his biography of Douglass, the orator’s language underwent a change from 1852 to 1862.
A decade prior, Douglass, speaking to white Americans, referred to the founders as “your fathers.” Douglass and other Black Americans were outsiders. In 1862, he took ownership of them, including African Americans in the grand narrative of American history. The “you” of the American Revolution and its principles became a “we” during the battle against the Confederacy. Speaking of the Union effort in the Civil War, he said, “We are only continuing the tremendous struggle, which your fathers, and my fathers began 86 years ago.” Because white Americans had been willing to suffer for Black freedom during the Civil War, we were starting to live up to the idea that all men were created equal. …
On Independence Day in 1875, Douglass took to the podium a third time. Echoing his first speech, he asked what Black people had to do with the Fourth of July. Now, years after the Civil War, Black people’s place in the American narrative was an established fact: “Colored people have had something to do with almost everything of vital importance in the life and progress of this great country.”
I don’t think we have to be proud of everything this country has done to be proud of our progress despite unrelenting opposition. The saga of Black people in America is not just a tragedy; it is also a triumph. …
Douglass expanded the meaning of American patriotism. Rather than focusing on the gratitude the country demanded of us, he reminded the nation what it still owed its populace. The nation could not request songs of praise without including Black accomplishments in its lyrics. It could not laud the founders of this nation without following their example by continuing to fight for justice for all.
Our national tendency to see only the best of America was standing in the way of truly becoming great. Douglass thought enough of this country to tell it the truth. We would be better off if more of us did the same.
Other op-eds by Esau McCaulley:
- My Father Failed Me. Here’s How I Learned To Forgive Him. (June 18, 2023)
- Lent: The Season Of Repentance And Renewal (Apr. 2, 2023)
- There Is Glory And God In Our Struggles (Feb. 12, 2023)
- Does The Meaning Of A Christmas Song Change Depending On The Race Of The Man Who Wrote It? (Dec. 25, 2022)
- MLK's Legacy: Push Past Tweetable Quotes To True Christlike Love (Jan. 17, 2022)
- The Dangerous Politics Of ‘We Will Not Forgive’ (Oct. 3, 2021)
- Why Christians Must Fight Systemic Racism (Aug. 1, 2021)
- MLK's Legacy: Push Past Tweetable Quotes To True Christlike Love (Jan. 18, 2021)
- What The Bible Has To Say About Black Anger: 'The Cross Helps Us Make Sense Of The Lynching Tree' (June 21, 2020)
- The Christian Response to the Coronavirus: Stay Home (Mar. 22, 2020)
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