Speech

Can you imagine listening to Douglass give this speech? How much better all those sizzling hot burns he lays down would be if we could hear his voice drip with sarcasm?

And what about the stories Douglass tells? Can you imagine him doing the voices of the self-satisfied minister, the confused girl in the trance, the pious slaveholder?

We're willing to bet Douglass was a master actor, and the format of a speech gave him the opportunity to perform a bunch of characters.

How it Breaks Down

Part 1: Prejudiced People Douglass has Known (Sentences 1-18)

Douglass gives three examples of prejudice he's encountered at different Northern churches. He could give more, but we don't have all day.

Part 2: Why Are People Prejudiced? (Sentences 19-29)

Douglass argues that slavery prejudices all white people, not just slaveholders, against black people by making them think black people are naturally inferior, when in fact it's the condition of slavery that's holding them back.

Part 3: White People Making Excuses (Sentences 30-43)

Douglass aims at the Southern churches and sums up the arguments Southern preachers give for slavery: God intended it. He winds up with an image of his former master quoting scripture while beating Douglass' cousin.