07/04/2020
This 4th of July is...messy...in so many ways. The cookouts, fireworks, flag-waving that generally mark this day for most Americans ring hollow this year, in the midst of a global pandemic and the civil rights movement of our generation.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness " were the words penned by our founding fathers to mark our Independence - while they actively chose to institutionalize slavery, instead of extending that freedom to all.
I am embarrassed to say that this is the first year I've really heard those words and understood their impact. Understood that so many of us are not free. Our history is so whitewashed that we don't even see it. I am grappling hard with how to handle that and do better identifying my own privilege while understanding that educating myself about racism rather than being the target of racism is a privilege in and of itself.
I think the most patriotic thing we can do today is to examine how we can do better - as individuals and as a country. That means hard conversations, donating to worthy causes, amplifying Black, brown and indigenous voices, and doing the work.
I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with the strong, proud young men of 10for10 . They are doing the work - educating, marching, empowering our community, like with this "Black Men In Suits" photoshoot they arranged. They are holding a protest tonight to against a system of mass incarceration, immigrant detention, and the marginalization of BIPOC and women on this day we celebrate our supposed freedoms. I hope to see you there (link in bio).
