"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" is a speech delivered by the renowned abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York. In his powerful address, Douglass addressed the stark contrast between the celebration of freedom and independence on the Fourth of July and the harsh reality of slavery endured by African Americans.

Douglass highlighted the hypocrisy of celebrating liberty and equality while millions of African Americans were still enslaved in America. He exposed the deep-rooted racism and discrimination that permeated American society, calling out the nation's leaders and citizens for their complacency in allowing slavery to persist.

Douglass's speech challenged his audience to confront the moral and ethical implications of slavery and urged them to take action to end this dehumanizing institution. His words resonated with many and helped to galvanize the abolitionist movement in the years leading up to the Civil War.

"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" remains a powerful and poignant critique of American society's failure to live up to its founding principles of freedom and equality for all. It continues to be studied and remembered as a significant moment in Black history and the struggle for racial justice.