What is the central idea of this excerpt from "The Destiny of Colored Americans" by Frederick Douglass?
The white man’s happiness cannot be purchased by the black man’s misery. Virtue cannot prevail among the white people, by its destruction among the black people, who form a part of the whole community. It is evident that the white and black "must fall or flourish together." In the light of this great truth, laws ought to be enacted, and institutions established--all distinctions, founded on complexion, ought to be repealed, repudiated, and for ever abolished--and every right, privilege, and immunity, now enjoyed by the white man, ought to be as freely granted to the man of color.
Where "knowledge is power," that nation is the most powerful which has the largest population of intelligent men; for a nation to cramp, and circumscribe the mental faculties of a class of its inhabitants, is as unwise as it is cruel, since it, in the same proportion, sacrifices its
Answers
The central idea of the above excerpt from "The Destiny of Colored Americans" by Frederick Douglass is to:
Grant black population with freedom and equality.
Douglass spoke about the Hippocratic nature that the Americans have been facing and practicing simultaneously. He wants slavery to be abolished through any means. He speaks about the celebration of 4th July which was to be celebrated as the day of freedom. It is very disappointing for him to see that the people are celebrating the freedom of a nation which has been build on the surface of slavery. In his speech, he mentions about his own people who do not associate themselves with the slaves rather they identify themselves with the whites. Douglass fought for equal rights given to the Blacks to vote. He also wanted equal rights for women including the White women to vote and wanted fair public education granted to everyone.
The main gist or the central idea of the given excerpt from the destiny of colored Americans by Frederick Douglass is to provide black population equal status as the white and they must have equal right to freedom and equality as the white population is enjoying.
Everyone either must have same privileges or they must not have any at all.