[act-ma] 7/1 The Declaration of (Whose?) Independence Wed

[Janet]

Community Change, Inc
Challenging Structural Racism since 1968

THE DECLARATION OF (WHOSE?) INDEPENDENCE
A Round-Robin Reading of Frederick Douglass’
The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro

July 1, 2009 (Wednesday)
Noon-1:30 pm
Community Change Library on Racism
14 Beacon Street, Room 605
Boston MA

Please join Community Change staff and friends for a round-robin  
reading/reflection/discussion of The Meaning of July 4th for the  
Negro, a speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852 in  
Rochester, NY.

We will start by taking turns reading Douglass’ powerful exposition  
of the hypocrisy of a nation celebrating its declaration of  
independence while at the same time holding 4 million enslaved  
Africans in cruel bondage. We will then discuss how this speech  
connects to our “Independence Day” of 2009.

It may seem that we have moved beyond race in the 105 years that  
separate us from Douglass’ eloquent rage against slavery, especially  
since the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.  
And yet, when we remember that our current economic recession was  
brought on, in large part, predatory lending schemes targeting people  
of color, when we remember that our incarceration rate, 1 in 100, is  
the highest in the world, disproportionately penalizing men of color,  
and when we reflect on the learning opportunity gap in our schools  
that deprives our lower income urban and rural children of a quality  
education, Douglass’ words are discomfortingly appropriate  
descriptions of our time.

  Please join us on July 1 from 12 noon-1:30 p.m. at the Community  
Change Library on Racism, 14 Beacon Street, Room 605, Boston MA for  
the discussion on race, racism in the United States of today. There  
is no admission charge.

For more information, call 1-617-523-0555. For a copy of the speech,  
go to: http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/douglassjuly4.html).  
We will read an abridged version of the speech, available at the event.

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