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15 April Summary Douglas began his speech by acknowledging the war against racism and significance of his audience, members, and friends of Bethel Literary and Historical Association. The association played an important role in improving welfare of the colored people through improving opinions and according to Douglas, was the most serious forum for discussing public issues after the judiciary and the congress. He denounces the term ‘the Negro problem’ and notes that such expressions harms the image of the race and members of the race.
He argued that labeling conflict between the Whites and the Colored as the Negro problem is unjustified because Negroes did not create of perpetuate the problem. bitter rivalry between the north and the south secured rights and privileges of negroes and now that the war is over propaganda threatens the rights and privileges by creating and conveying a negative image of the negroes and creating a banner that a problem, the negro problem, exist in the south. The true problem is however, the nation’s inability to defend the constitution because while Negroes from the South obey the law, whites from the North do not.
They, instead, obstruct justice. The problem is the need for the government, upon recognizing citizenry of the Negroes, to protect, honor, and defend rights of the Negroes and elites from the South are the cause, people who never supported the good cause of the achieved stability and fear of Negro supremacy drives them. The supremacy can however never occur because of the upper hand that whites have in the South and even if it occurred, the constitution would regulate it. the real problem is however political and is the fear of the Republican force from the North and people such as Montgomery have betrayed their people to suppress freedom that has been achieved through state legislation.
The author notes that the struggle against the oppression may be difficult but hopes that the government will ensure justice and that the Negroes will succeed in the struggle for their rights (Douglass 1-5).Works citedDouglass, Frederick. “The race problem: Great speech of Frederick Douglass.” National Human Rights Center. October 21, 1890. Web. April 15, 2015. .
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