WHO IS GOOD ENOUGH?

In an editorial linked below, Wm. M. King reminds us of how elusive our freedom can be. Frederick Douglass reminded his listeners that even though the Constitution had been ratified in 1788, we were no closer as a nation in 1852 to making true the enterprise that “all men are created equal.”
That of course also included women. It took many more years to accomplish these goals and yet we forget the long time and much effort that it required. So when another situation of discrimination comes along we need the reminders of the past to help us deal with the present.
As we hear of hatred in the news pertaining to new religious and national prejudice, we must all remember we are inheritors of our freedoms and therefore we can only be humbly grateful for them and be willing to be generous with what we did not earn.

http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-2887-the-myth-of-a-post-racial-america.html

SENECA FALLS, DAY 2

The rights we as women all enjoy today, that day took a giant leap toward coming true! BE GRATEFUL to all those men and women!
It was agreed that on the first day, only women would speak. On the morning of day 2, men joined the discussion.
“The Convention assembled at the hour appointed, JAMES MOTT, of Philadelphia, in the Chair. The minutes of the previous day having been read, [Lizzie] E. C. STANTON again read the Declaration of Sentiments, which was freely discussed by LUCRETIA MOTT, ANSEL BASCOM, S. E. WOODWORTH, THOMAS AND MARY ANN MCCLINTOCK, FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AMY POST, CATHARINE STEBBINS, AND ELIZABETH C. STANTON, and was unanimously adopted,…”

From the minutes of the Convention - http://www.nps.gov/wori/historyculture/report-of-the-womans-rights-convention.htm

SENECA FALLS WOMEN’S RIGHTS CONFERENCE- JULY 19-20, 1848

Around 300 attended, most were women. Over the two days there were six sessions including one on law, one humorous and discussions on women’s role in society. A famous Quaker speaker from Boston, Lucretia Mott was not originally in favor of women voting, but Frederick Douglass was persuasive in convincing the group to include it in the list of resolutions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_Falls_Convention

“The Meaning of the Fourth of July to the Negro”

FREDERICK DOUGLASS originally gave this speech on this day in 1852. “Fellow-citizens,” he began, “why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day? What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?”
Since then there have been many readings of Douglass’s speech on or near this date, including this recent one in Springfield, Massachusetts. Douglass was a steadfast supporter of women’s rights and involved from 1848 until his death.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/06/springfield_to_celebrate_frede.html
http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-2887-the-myth-of-a-post-racial-america.html

The full text of his speech www.masshumanities.org.