Actor, director Michael Lange ("The Meeting," "The Ballot or the Bullet") joined by youth wordsmiths Ayinde Webb (drummer FDYE) and Jamani Williams will read excerpts from Frederick Douglass's historic 1852 speech to the Rochester Women's Anti-Slavery Society, "What Is the Fourth of July to the Slave?"   On that day Douglass delivered what is considered to be one of the nineteenth century's greatest orations illuminating the contradiction between American slavery and American freedom.

Opening for UpSurge on Friday, July 3 is a project that UpSurge! founder Raymond Nat Turner has been busy helping cook up. UpSurge and the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music are thrilled to announce the recently formed Frederick Douglass Youth Ensemble (FDYE) under the musical direction of young saxophonist and teacher extraordinaire, Steven Turner. Founding Director of OPC and UpSurge bandmate, trombonist and vocalist Angela Wellman is providing the leadership for the birth and development of this new youth ensemble and OPC faculty and violinist, Sandra Poindexter, is mentoring the string section. FDYE will be performing a couple of UpSurge!standards in addition to their own repertoire. 

Also sharing the stage will be Cesar A. Preciado-Cruz. Cruz is a Los Angeles and Richmond revolutionary activist and poet. Cruzis celebrating the release of his book Revenge of the 'Illegal Alien': A Mexican Takes on the Empire" Poetry, Short Stories and Political Bullets.

Cesar's sharing the stage is in concert with our theme for this year's Frederick Douglass Day: "Black and Brown Unity!" which is  reflected in the composition of the Frederick Douglass Youth Ensemble. So come out to honor the legacy of Frederick Douglass, hear some great music and words, encourage our next generation of music-makers and wordsmiths and make some history of your own.  

"Although slavery is gone, Douglass's critique remains as relevant as in 1852. But so too does his optimism that the days of empire are over, and that in the modern world abuses cannot permanently be hidden from the light of day. Douglass, not the leaders of a slave-holding republic, was the genuine patriot, who called on his listeners to reclaim the "great principles" of the Declaration from those who had defiled and betrayed them.That is a truly patriotic goal for our own Fourth of July."  Eric Foner