Psalm 137: How Frederick Douglass claimed the Biblical message of social justice on July 4th
By David W. Stowe, Professor of English and Religious Studies, Michigan State University On the anniversary of America’s independence, the abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass made the opening line of Psalm 137, “By the Rivers of Babylon,” a centerpiece of his most famous speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass told the audience at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York, on July 5, 1852, that for a free black like himself, being expected to celebrate American independence was akin to the Judean captives being mockingly coerced to perform songs in praise of Jerusalem. Not only did...
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