In a thought-provoking video inspired by Frederick Douglass’ 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?,” which features various clips of the nationwide protests, American slaves and Army vets, Hamilton star Daveed Diggs poses the question, “What to my people is the Fourth of July?” ahead of the holiday usually highlighted by family cookouts and fireworks.
38-year-old Diggs joined CBS This Morning Gayle King to discuss the powerful message behind his video.
⠀
“As we reflect on the moment on the Fourth of July and what we’re celebrating, this idea of independence, it’s complicated for Americans of color to figure out how we fit in that celebration,” he explained.
He even took a moment to shed light on his own experiences with discrimination and profiling by law enforcement, revealing that From ages 22 to 25, police stopped him around 40 times, but never game him a ticket. He also recalled a much more violent encounter with police prior to moving to Los Angeles to perform Hamilton.
“I got snatched off of my bicycle by police officers and thrown up against a fence because I fit a description,” Diggs said.
Diggs explained that the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-police brutality protests are less about specific officers and more about the entire system “that is trained to treat Black life differently.”
