Question

what, to the american slave, is your fourth of july? i answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. to him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass-fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery.

—frederick douglass

identify the claim in the passage.

the holiday pleases enslaved people.
the holiday insults enslaved people.
the holiday could be better.

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: inferential comprehension and textual evidence

Step 1: Analyze the text

Frederick Douglass describes the Fourth of July from the perspective of an enslaved person. He uses strong, negative words to describe the national celebration:

• "a day that reveals to him... the gross injustice and cruelty"
• "your celebration is a sham"
• "your boasted liberty, an unholy license"
• "your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless"
• "your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery"

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• "The holiday pleases enslaved people." This is incorrect because the text states the celebration is a "sham" and "empty and heartless" to them.
• "The holiday insults enslaved people." This is correct. By celebrating liberty and equality while keeping millions enslaved, the holiday acts as a "hollow mockery" and a reminder of "gross injustice," which serves as a direct insult to their condition.
• "The holiday could be better." This is incorrect because it is too mild and does not capture the deep pain, hypocrisy, and injustice highlighted in Douglass's speech.

Answer:

The holiday insults enslaved people.