Independence Day Awareness

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Fireworks, barbecues, and parades filled my childhood’s Independence Days. I looked forward to the holiday and its promises of time with family and friends. As I grew older and developed a deeper understanding of the meaning behind July 4th, something within me changed.

Awareness is the foundation for transformation.

During today’s red, white, and blue celebrations, the struggle for freedom continues. The enslavement of children and adults and other incidents of involuntary labor persist. Diddy beat the racketeering and sex trafficking charges, but others remain at large for similar crimes.

While most cases do not receive celebrity attention, slavery under the guise of other names remains an issue. In 2024, US attorneys received almost 2000 referrals for individuals allegedly involved in human trafficking rings. Over the last decade, the US has experienced an increase in trafficking incidents, but they rarely make headlines.

Coalitions of “concerned” citizens who confuse and conflate democracy with white supremacy control the dominant messages. This is not a conspiracy theory; explore the media’s historical reporting patterns of “big beautiful bills” that advance lopsided interests.   

Frederick Douglass delivered the speech, “What to the Slave, is the Fourth of July,” on July 5^th, 1852, to an audience in New York. He received the invitation in recognition of the 76^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His critique pushed the nation to acknowledge its hypocrisy in preaching freedom while maintaining slavery.

In Douglass’s words, “The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable- and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight.” His statement not only indicates the distances between his life as an enslaved person and a free man, but also suggests the limited progress between the country’s declarations and reality.

Let’s return to my childhood for two sentences…

Growing up in Chicago and the suburbs, I believed acting “hard” included lighting fireworks, fighting other boys, and engaging in various forms of reckless behavior. I didn’t reserve these actions for Independence Day or any holiday. While I have learned to embrace diverse definitions of masculinity and retire my boxing gloves, aggressive behavior remains a part of my identity.

Today…

I channel aggression through positive outlets such as exercising, writing, reading, parenting, and tending to my wife’s needs, but sometimes, I have relapses. Frustration doesn’t manifest itself through violence, but anger occasionally gets the best of me.

Experts have created theories around the violence that some exhibit as a response to rage. On this platform, I have shared about Dr. Joy DeGruy’s book, Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing. She discusses how, after emancipation, harsh slavery conditions and subsequent oppressions lingered among individuals and became embedded in institutions. 

Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome (PTSS), as DeGruy defines it, includes violent reactions to less-than-life-threatening circumstances and the development of inadequate self-concepts.

Sometimes, I see evidence of DeGruy’s theory on Sacramento’s trains. While on my way to work last week, a man became irate, spitting and cursing, when a security officer asked him to switch seats and make room for a person with a disability. The moment went from 0 to 100 in a few seconds.

Perhaps, you don’t take public transportation. If you open your favorite social media app, inevitably, you will also find indicators of persistent psychological or physical slavery on this Independence Day.

Many remain shackled to ideas and behaviors that limit their potential in the brief time we have on earth. I lost a friend this week, and the news of his death shifted perspectives and priorities. The soccer world lost the 28-year-old Diogo Jota in a car accident.      

Regardless of the fallacies behind American holidays, let’s appreciate life. If that means you attend the cookouts and fireworks shows, go for it. Whatever you do, do it with awareness.

For more ideas on liberation next week, subscribe to this blog and pick up one of my books.