frederick douglass day

coincidence has had me out of the country on most fourths of july the past several years, a distance from u.s. patriotism which i always truly appreciate. this year finds me just a hop skip & jump from the tijuana border crossing, with spanish spoken all around as the default language, pepe aguilar & angeles azules on the radio, and carne asada & tortillas on the parilla, but i'm definitely still in the united states (gigantic mexican flag waving to us from the other side notwithstanding). oh well.

i did get an email from ayoka wishing me a happy frederick douglass day, though;) a-ha! now that's more like it!!


from frederick douglass' (in)famous address of july 4th, 1852:

...What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sound of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanks-givings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy -- a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.

¿verdad que sí? ¡eso!





speaking of ayoka, we were sitting in her car on san jose ave in the mission the other day, eating mitchell's ice cream (macapuno, chocolate-dipped x2 of course), and she played for me on the car stereo a song performed by bettye lavette. oh, it's just gorgeous (sigh)... and has been in my mind ever since.

i'm walking through the desert
and i am not frightened although it's hot
i have all that i requested
and i do not want what i haven't got


i do not want what i have not got : bettye lavette (original, sinead oconnor)



thank you, ayoka, ms. lavette, & frederick douglass!
happy frederick douglass day to everyonel!!