I don’t feel especially patriotic today.
I can’t forget that when this country declared its independence, Black people were still in chains. So no, this day wasn’t freedom for us.
That doesn’t mean I’m angry at folks for barbecuing or watching fireworks. It just means I’m not pretending this day means the same thing to everyone. It never has.
It’s important to name that. To tell the truth. Because if freedom didn’t include all of us in 1776, then we have to be honest about what we’re really celebrating.
I want something better than symbolic freedom. I want real freedom. Freedom that’s lived, not just declared.
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