The Fourth of July Through a Black Girl’s Eyes
By Kamryn Burton (@kamryn.burton), Wisteria Magazine
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed, establishing America as a nation. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been taught that this day granted “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” to all Americans. Though that information is only partially accurate, my impressionable mind and elementary innocence believed it wholeheartedly. I solely associated positive things with the Fourth of July because it seemed to be a joyous day: a day when we could proudly sing the National Anthem and thank our Founding Fathers for building the basis of our beautiful nation.
My complicated feelings towards the Fourth of July didn’t form until I was old enough to think for myself and conduct further research. As I began to unlearn the white-washed education system’s carefully fabricated lies, it was a struggle to make sense of the ugly truths. When the Founding Fathers wrote, “All men are created equal,” they didn’t really mean all of us. Many Black Americans weren’t emancipated until 1865, almost a century after the Declaration of Independence was signed. I am embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t even heard of Black Independence Day, Juneteenth, until two years ago. The cause of this lack of education remains apparent. I can confidently say that my history has been, and continues to be, neglected by the American school system.
Needless to say, even after Juneteenth, my people weren’t free. After slavery, there was sharecropping: the same thing under a new name. At the same time, Jim Crow Laws were introduced to legalize racial discrimination and segregation. Black people weren’t allowed to live in the same neighborhoods, drink from the same water fountains, or eat in the same diners as their white counterparts -- that doesn’t sound like freedom to me. The fight for civil rights resulted in progression, but evidently, not enough if we must still scream “Black Lives Matter!” Time and time again, racist tactics are disguised within policies designed to keep us poor, uneducated, and unable to succeed.
All this being said, I find it incredibly tone-deaf to celebrate a country for the individual freedoms it grants its citizens when some are actively facing oppression. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize that I possess certain privileges exclusive to America, and I am grateful. However, we can’t pretend “Liberty and justice for all” is the reality. Being proud of a nation implies that you commend its decisions and values. Therefore, being proud of America implies that racism, as well as other forms of hatred, aren’t deal breakers for you. It’s mere complicity.
In addition to feeling angry, I feel like an outsider. This holiday doesn’t feel like one, I can claim. It’s strange to celebrate the freedom your people have yet to acquire. Take into account the words of Frederick Douglass in his 1852 speech, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?: “The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.”
I ask that you don’t misinterpret my words - I am not saying that I hate my country. I criticize America because I care about the future of its people and believe we can follow up on our initial promises. I am also not saying that you must sacrifice your Fourth of July celebrations. Attend the cookouts and watch the fireworks, but take the time for reflection. I implore you to think about how your meaning of Independence Day might vary from someone else’s. Moreover, engage in conversation and listen to other perspectives. Empathy and understanding unlock the doors to a united, just, and equitable nation.
Happy Fourth.
