East End Baptist Tabernacle held "A Frederick Douglass Forum" on Sunday to build awareness about the former slave and abolitionist’s message given in 1852.

Douglass gave a Fourth of July speech that called out America for its hypocrisy at the time. Church leaders say Douglass was criticizing the celebration of freedom, justice and equality while slavery was still legal.

Church leaders say they revisit the message every year on the first Sunday after Independence Day as a teaching tool for young parishioners.