Read the excerpt from "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” There are seventy-two crimes in the State of Virginia which, if committed by a black man (no matter how ignorant he be), subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of the same crimes will subject a white man to the like punishment. What problem is Douglass referring to in this excerpt?
Answer
A
the injustice and unreliability of the death penalty
B
the difficulties of living in Virginia prior to the Civil War
C
the alarming rise in crime that was taking place
D
the unfair treatment of Black people in the courts
Explanation
Douglass compares how the law punishes Black and white people for the same crimes: 72 crimes could lead to a Black man’s execution, while only two could lead to a white man’s execution. This unequal treatment shows racial discrimination in the courts and legal system. The passage is not mainly about crime rates or the death penalty’s reliability.
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