
The history of the United States of America is plagued by instances of enslavement, oppression, and hatred towards African American people beginning with the era of slavery in the 1600’s when America was still a young colony of England. Albeit the end of slavery did not entail the end of oppression in America even to this day some would argue that there are still instances of racial injustice in our country. Fredrick Douglas, an escaped slave and leader of the abolitionist movement, gave a speech in July 1852  commonly known today as “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July” in which he passionately called for an end the practice of slavery in all facets. Years later in a letter Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote from a Birmingham prison the idea of African American oppression remained an issue at the forefront of American civilization though slavery had been abolished for almost an entire century. In both these documents influential members of the African American community voice their outrage at the blatant disregard for their people in American society beginning with Douglas’ scathing observations of the celebration of American freedom while an entire race remains enslaved in America, and continuing through Dr. King’s letter he wrote during a wrongful imprisonment he was victim to after leading a civil rights protest in Birmingham Alabama.

Fredrick Douglas began his speech by mentioning he has never spoken before an audience with, “greater distrust” of his abilities than he had when presenting his speech to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society of Rochester on July 5, 1852. It was on this day that Douglas, a former slave, was entrusted with the responsibility to present the opening remarks for a fourth of July celebration held by an influential abolitionist group. In his speech he made it known that although he had limited powers of speech not only being a former slave in a country which still openly supported this act in certain areas but also because the color of his skin had placed a label on him that was unfavorable not only at this time in American history, but also through the era of segregation which afflicted our nation for over a century after slavery was abolished. Douglas understood that the problem of slavery was not something that was easily dismantled he equated slavery to a stream which was, “not easily turned from channels, worn deep in the course of ages”. This quote from Douglas shows that he understood slavery had been a justified normality in American culture since even before its founding which made it difficult to teach people that the practice of slavery infringed on the rights of people who, until this point had not even been considered people. Douglas understood that even outside the realm of slavery there was an issue of oppression in America due to the fact that there was not an equal standard for justice throughout the nation. He outlined this fact by stating that at this time there were 72 crimes that if committed by a black man carried with it a death sentence while only two of these crimes would be punishable by death if they were committed by a white man. Douglas knew that in order to successfully abolish the practice of slavery and bring about equality for all US citizens he would have to overcome many obstacles, and although it would be a long and hard fought battle in the end it would be worth it because it would mean freedom for all people and he firmly believed that “With brave men there is always a remedy for oppression”.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent figures in the American civil rights movement which sought to integrate American society and officially end the oppression faced by African Americans in the United States. Throughout his time as a civil rights activists Dr. King had been arrested several times for reasons that were unjust in the hopes of stripping away his motivation and ending his work towards equality and fair treatment for all people. This imprisonment in Birmingham Alabama was no different because King was arrested for leading a protest in response to certain businesses in Alabama who placed offensive signs in their storefronts which discouraged “colored” people from entering. In his letter written from a prison cell Dr. King calls for support from his fellow clergymen in his battle for integration. At this time in 1963 the US was a nation divided by race because although African Americans have been free from the bondage of slavery for almost 98 years at this point they were still looked down upon as lesser than their white counterparts and not granted the same rights as white Americans were and the implementation of segregation laws put the black community at a significant disadvantage in society and did not allow them to break the bonds of poverty and oppression which crippled their ability to make a living and support themselves in a society that was indifferent towards their struggle. In this letter King almost mirrors Douglas’ speech in that he explains how difficult a task it will be to end segregation because it had become a tradition in society to mistreat African Americans and separate them from the rest of society as a way to keep them down and continue the stigma of inferiority among members of this community. King often alluded to the struggle for independence in Asian and African countries and how they were making strides toward independence while in America we, “creep at a horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter” because black men and women were limited in their choices of colored only establishments which denied them the simple privilege of simply walking into a store and ordering something as simple as a cup of coffee. This imbalance in society is what lead men like Dr. King and other abolitionists of the time to actively work towards change in order to empower men and women of color and promote freedom and equality.

Dr. King and Fredrick Douglas were both revolutionaries and extremely influential men in their time, and their words to this day empower those who struggle with oppression in any manner. Both men understood that their struggle for equality would be nothing if not difficult and that true change can only come about when the privileged members of society relinquish their power in order for those who are at a disadvantage in society to receive equal treatment under the law. Both of these writings suggest a deep rooted concern for members of the African American community but they also show compassion towards other groups who have struggled in the past and continue to struggle to this day which shows how their compassion for others extends beyond their immediate community because, in the words of Dr. King, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.