The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Dul-Sayin' - Black Americans' Complicated Relationship with the Fourth of July

Episode Date: July 5, 2021

Dulcé Sloan digs into the history of July 4th, including Frederick Douglass's callout of its hypocrisy and the racist restrictions put on Black Americans' celebrations after the Civil War. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at that's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News, listened to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th. July 4th, it's that glorious day when we celebrate America's independence in Great Britain. And it's also my birthday. I said it's my birthday. And if y'all give me donuts again, I'm going to hurt somebody.

But despite that, there are black folks out there who have a complicated relationship with the 4th of July. You know because of all the slavery and segregation and redlining and belief brutality, and Megan the Stallion not getting the respect she deserves. And I get that. But did you know that there was a time when July 4th was a very black holiday? In fact, there was a time when America thought black people celebrated July 4th a little too much.

Here's the story. Before the Civil War, Independence Day was a day for white people to celebrate by parading around town and getting wasted on cheap booze. It was basically a patriots game for the original patriots. But for the growing anti-slavery movement, July 4th was a shameful day that represented America's hypocrisy. Because how you're going to celebrate freedom when you're chaining up millions of people? That's like Britney Spears' dad throwing a party because he can write his own checks.

And no one expressed this anger better than Frederick Douglass in a speech he gave on July 4th, 1852, where he told white Americans that, the existence of slavery in this country brands your republicanism as a sham, your humanity as a base pretense, and your Christianity as a lie. Damn, that was a reed straight from the Library of Congress. I would have been like, yeah, and your wigs look goofy as fuck, your pettie-s, your woe-teth got termites.

Mm-hmm. But your old dying of consumption ass. I know gout when I see it. But then the civil war happened. Ooh, and it completely flipped the script on July 4th, especially in the South, because now, black people can actually celebrate freedom. And white southerners were in no mood to celebrate the Independence Day of a country that had just whooped their asses. So suddenly Independence Day became an almost exclusively black holiday in the former

Confederacy. Black people have picnics, they watched fireworks, they recited the Emancipation Proclamation in the 13th Amendment, which sounds like fun except for reading all those documents. I don't know maybe if they put like a beat to it or something. Neither slavery, no involuntary servitude except its punishment for crimes were up, the party shall even doily, convicted, shall exist within the United States. Now it's no surprise that racist whites didn't like black people celebrating their freedom from racist whites, so they decided the party had to stop. Starting in the 1870s th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the the the-malte the the-malte-malte-malte-malte-menee-menee-a' the-a' the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the th. th. th. th. th. the the the the the the the the the the theenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenenen theenenenenenenen theenenen the the the whites, so they decided the party had to stop. Starting in the 1870s, white mobs began attacking black gatherings in July 4th, and soon, state legislatures passed laws banning celebrations near black neighborhoods, pushing parades

out of city limits, and even forbidding street fenders from setting up food stalls in black areas. Do you know how racist you have to be to want less funnel cake? Basically, these racist raw bakers were the original barbecue becky. And stopping black celebrations with just one part of their century-long struggle against black freedom and racial justice. So I don't know about you, but this July 4th, I'll be celebrating Independence Day as hard as I celebrate Junete, as a day of freedom for all Americans.

Not just because it's fun, but also it's because I get to piss off all those dead racist watching from hell. And also because it's my birthday! Now give me all that fun of cake. Happy Independent Ducey everybody! M-wmwmw! The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes.

It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.

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