I imagine that even before, and certainly since, the bold and infamous speech delivered by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852, What to the American Slave is your 4th of July?, this has been a day of mixed meaning to Americans based on race. I dare say that for most Black Americans, it has meant a day of family, eating, sun and fun, a day off from work and maybe even some fireworks. I don't remember ever there being mention of Americanism or patriotism in our celebrations. We dare not fly the flag nor wear any combination of red, white and blue on that day or any other, the colors of the American flag, representative of a meaning of Americanism mostly unfamiliar to us. I vividly remember no longer saluting the flag early in my elementary school years; 2nd or 3rd grade. Once Black students in my mostly white school learned that all we had to do was stand, that was all she wrote. No longer did we cross our heart or utter words of allegiance about liberty, freedom and justice that did not apply to us, words that were not and still are not reflective of our reality of being Black in America. To say that Black Americans have a complicated relationship with this country that we built, is a HUGE understatement...
Fast forward to 2003, I am about to start law school. I am enrolled in some pre-entry program abeeing oddered at a big law firm in DC. It is a small group of first year law students. Most of the participants are non-white. Lawyers are volunteering their time to show us the ropes and help us to get acclimated and prepared for our new journey. I met some good people there who I still call friends today. I will never forget on the eve of the 4th of July, in comes a partner wanting to address us about the holiday. He proudly gives each of us two pocket sized books; the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which he declared the greatest document ever written. SMH... Not even 3/5 or me shares that sentiment. He continues still with much pride that each year on the 4th, he and his family gather to read the Declaration. Eyes wide, brows frowned, I am looking at my peers to assess their unspoken response because certainly I'm not identifying and never have I described either of these two documents as the best ever written. I remember thinking just how different and far apart were our worlds when it came to some very basic ideals and beliefs but white folks, thinking it is they who set the norm, have no sense or care that Black folks don't share their values or views about what is or is not important or relevant to us. Our voice of disagreement is silenced or made invisible as they continue to inflict their values and beliefs upon us rarely giving ours even the least of consideration.
Fast forward again to July 4th, 2020. America is experiencing a reckoning of sorts; certainly giving the appearance of commitment of efforts to come to terms with race in America and the complicated relationship Blacks have with them, their flag, their holiday, their values. America is taking steps to address police brutality and what it truly means to be policed while Black in America, making steps to acknowledge the pain of Black Americans and kinda' awkwardly apologizing with all sorts of interesting gestures, recognizing Juneteenth, a very special holiday, Lift Ev'ry Voice & Sing, the Black National Anthem, immediately firing those exposed for trespassing against us EVEN cops, removing offensive statutes and the like. At the same time however, giving balance to our complicated relationship, police unions are revving up their defense of the indefensible, Black people are still being attacked and not so mysteriously again becoming "strange fruit" hanging from trees in not so strange places to include NJ!, yet we are to believe that these persons have committed suicide by hanging themselves (Newsflash: Black folks didn't lynch ourselves during jim crow when white folks picnicked and froliked beneath our hanging bodies nor do we lynch ourselves now nor kill ourselves while handcuffed in the backseat of police cars) and let us not forget that there is a raving, illiterate racist lunatic inciting further division and signaling hopes for a civil war while occupying the white house that enslaved Black folks were forced to build free of charge. By virtue of our history here in this country, Black Americans have EARNED the right to call ourselves American but many understandably still struggle with this notion. So still, it remains a complicated relationship between Black Americans, our nation's flag, our decision to love or not to love this country that we built and all too often, with our fellow citizens who enslaved and continue to traumatize us and who are white...
No, I will not be celebrating today, mostly because of the pandemic that is disproportionately killing Black folks and taking out whites who are obviously deemed collateral damage or expendable utilitarian goods as our current and blatantly racist US government does nothing to address or control spread of the virus nationally. Not looking to make his task of Black genocide any easier, I will stay home. Otherwise I would enjoy the day by a pool or a beach preferably outside the country or just dropping in locally to visit and catch up with friends. But please, by all means, do you! Celebrate or not. Just be safe and be wise in the choices that make for yourself regarding what you decide to do or not do. Also remember to please allow and respect the choice of others and how they choose to spend their day. It is America. So far, we still have free speech and freedoms of thought and expression. I know for certain however that I will not be reading the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence nor taking in the fireworks. I will be chillin' and celebrating me as I see fit!!!
Proud to be independent to do as I please on this controversial day of celebration that I am choosing to call Frederick Douglass Day! Please listen to his speech as recited by his grandchildren, fully in his spirit and sadly, still applicable to the Black man's cause for celebration of July 4th, ONE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT years later. Still we ponder the same question, What to the Slave is the 4th of July?
Enjoy Your Day!!!
❤️🖤💚
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