What is the Fourth of July?

In reading Frederick Douglass' "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?"  I was struck by a particular quote which I felt was central to his speech.  His words were,   "There is consolation in the thought that America is young."  Douglass'  speech, focused upon the irony of the celebration of American freedom in a country which ignored the enslavement of millions of people, focuses also upon the possibility that people could and would change things.  His speech is a call to action, but also a sad reflection on what was his reality.  However, even today his words ring true.  America is still a baby of a nation, especially in relation to the countries of Europe or Asia.   We may have abolished slavery, but there is still much to be done in the modern context of Douglass' speech.  There are still those for whom the Fourth of July cannot fully resonate, and whether their oppression lies in their own life choices or the judgement of those around them, there are still many miles to go until America reaches the day when freedom feels like reality for almost everyone.