The Hypocrisy of American Slavery Theme of Race

To be fair, Douglass explicitly touches on the idea of race only twice. However, it's worth mentioning because race is what made American slavery different from slavery in any other historical context.

To justify slavery, many white Americans tried to prove that Black people were not the same as white people, that they were an inferior race and not fully human, and therefore white people were actually doing them a favor by "civilizing" them. Douglass points out that that's just not true, and everyone knows it.

1. What is the effect on listeners of mentioning race only twice? Does it force our thoughts away from race and more toward the idea of slavery in general?
2. Douglass mentions race in the context of crime and punishment (unequal for Blacks and whites) and in the context of human action (equal for Blacks and whites). Discuss how pairing these two contexts contributes to your understanding of race in America.
3. Not all Black people were slaves (though most of them were). How does the situation of free Black people relate to Douglass' ideas?
4. Would you say Douglass believes the promise of America is only for white people and white culture?

Douglass claims he isn't going to argue the humanity of Black people, and then he goes on to do exactly that. His arguments personalize the abstract idea of race by demonstrating what white and Black people have in common.

Crime and punishment in America is a different experience for Black people than for white people, as Douglass points out. His examples fit into a long history of prejudice against Black people in the American justice system.