How Do I, A Black Person, Celebrate the 4th of July?
Independence Day: a recognition of the triumph of self-determination by newly minted white “Americans” from their English origins. This is not to say that only English colonists fought in the Revolutionary War; but rather that the freedom black revolutionaries fought for was one to be claimed from all of their white masters. An estimated 9,000 black Patriots fought for freedom offered by the United States while up to 20,000 black Loyalists fought for freedom offered by Great Britain (source). A further estimate puts almost 100,000 slaves who sought any form of freedom they could find, whether through joining the fighting or simply running away from their plantations throughout the duration of the war (source). And yet, for all they were promised, black people could not declare freedom on July 4, 1776. So, what do we celebrate on July 4, 2020?
This is not a philosophical treatise. Frederick Douglass discussed the nature of Independence Day to black people very much to my satisfaction; so I refer you to his words. With this opinion-editorial, I am simply proposing actions we can take to observe the day in a way that validates our identity as black people. The first thing I will note is that we need not feel guilty or excluded from traditional American Independence Day festivities and traditions. After all, for better and worse, we are Americans. We think as Americans. We live as Americans. We dream as Americans. We die as Americans. We have a right to take and express pride in who/what we are, and in those who share pride in us, of all races. To celebrate American Independence Day, I suggest the remembrance of the black soldiers who fought for black freedom as Americans: Crispus Attucks, Prince Estabrook, Peter Salem, Salem Poor, Barzillai Lew, Blaney Grusha, Titus Coburn, Alexander Ames, Cato Howe, Seymour Burr (source)… the list goes on. And we can read about these names around a grill with burgers and hot dogs.
If you want to party, do so. Enjoy the freedom we have claimed thus far and re-energize for that which remains to be claimed. A big part of any black festivity is music. Enjoy reliving the magic of the past while uplifting the sounds of the present. I encourage you to seek out music from our independent artists who haven’t had the financial support of a large music company. In fact, here’s a compiled list of over a thousand black independent artists across myriad genres (including myself). If you hear something you like, buy it. Celebrate the literal independence of black music as you celebrate your own. If you’re going to stream black music, I recommend the use of Tidal because it has the highest per-stream payout of all services available in the United States, and thus allows you to show the greatest support.
There are many ways to celebrate black independence (black life on film for example). I invite you to offer more in the responses below. But I implore you not to forget the elephant in the room… COVID-19 is still running rampant through the nation and black people are particularly vulnerable due to a combination of pre-existing health inequities in the black community, as well as inadequate and disproportional access to testing and care. Even the boldest of states have been forced to reinstate restrictions on places of public congregation. With that said, if you do decide to celebrate with others, your mask should be on at all times. If you are not eating or drinking in the moment, please keep your mask on. Ongoing research has informed us not to bring more than 10 people together, including yourself, especially in a space that does not allow for a minimum 6-foot distance between all people at all times. And yes, that means you’ll have to taste the irony of celebrating freedom with restraints. But look at the bright side, we’ve already been doing that for a long time now. Let’s ensure that black people can celebrate for a long time to come.
