Should Black citizens participate in celebrating 200 years of American independence when true freedom, equality and economic justice remain unfulfilled? Host Tony Brown poses this question in a 1976 episode of "Black Journal.” Featuring Lerone Bennett Jr., senior editor of Ebony magazine and author of "The Shaping of Black America," and John Calhoun, Special Assistant to President Gerald Ford, they discuss the tension between honoring Black contributions to the nation and resisting the celebration of systemic oppression. The discussion also features a reading of Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 address, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" "Black Journal" was a monthly series of one-hour interconnected programs produced for, about, and — to a large extent — by Black Americans. The series reports on the achievements, concerns, and the attitudes of the nation’s Black citizens. Subscribe to THIRTEEN newsletters to stay informed: thirteen.org/email-preferences/?utm_so...