Red, white, black and blue: Patrik Henry Bass on July 4’s multiple meanings
Americans have widely varying interpretations of the Fourth of July. For some, it’s a day off from work. For others, it’s a sacred day, commemorating the American colonies declaration of independence from England. In one of his famous moments of oratory, former slave Frederick Douglass offered another take: “This Fourth of July is yours, not mine.? The July 5, 1852, speech was called “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro.” Guest: Takeaway Contributor Patrik Henry Bass talks about what he calls the ?multiple meanings? of the Fourth. He is spending the holiday weekend in a city that embodies multiple meanings and differing relations to country like very few others: New Orleans, Louisiana.
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