"What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" is a famous speech delivered by the abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852. In his speech, Douglass critiqued the celebration of American independence by pointing out the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom and liberty while millions of African Americans remained enslaved in the United States.

Douglass highlighted the stark contrast between the principles of the Declaration of Independence, which declared that all men are created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the reality of the institution of slavery. He passionately argued that the Fourth of July had little significance for Black Americans who continued to be denied basic human rights and treated as property.

The speech is considered a powerful indictment of the moral failings of the United States and a call to action for the abolition of slavery and the realization of true freedom and equality for all Americans. Douglass' words continue to resonate today as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in the United States.