Why I Will Not Celebrate July 4th



Denise Bolds, MSW July, 2013

Another July 4th is upon America, land of the free and home of the brave. The national holiday that stops all postal, banking and business is to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence gave freedom of the 13 colonies from the ‘rule’ by Britain 237 years ago.

Independence is freedom, respect and equality, as an African American I don’t see these concepts readily for my people. Last week as America celebrated a gain for marriage equality, blacks lost vital voting rights. With a black president of the United States of America, blacks are still behind; having the highest rate in unemployment, school drop-out, teen pregnancy, crime, incarceration, infant mortality and mental/ medical illness.

As an African American woman and single parent I have been called nigger, followed in stores, denied housing and jobs because of my ethnicity, stereotyped, called ‘angry’, treated as though I am invisible and most of all blamed for the travesties of my black race. I cannot celebrate Independence Day July 4th because I am black and the Declaration of Independence did not and does not include me.

Would I fare better in another country? There is that chance. I cannot forget my ancestors were taken hostage from Africa, brought to a cruel continent where they were denied their language, culture, religion and rights as human beings and forced to endure the cruelest forms of oppression for over 400 years. I cannot forget and put aside the 400 years of oppression called slavery. I cannot celebrate Independence Day July 4th. July 4th 1776 blacks were still slaves in America.

For every black man incarcerated for a crime he did not commit.
For the Moynihan Papers.
For the Rockefeller Laws.
For Stand Your Ground.
For every black family that is fractured.
For every gun and liquor store in predominately black communities.
For every black baby born underweight or prematurely.
For every black child wrongfully assigned to special education.
For every Oscar Grant, Travon Martin and DJ Henry killed with little or no repercussion.
For every black female wrongfully processed by USA judicial system.
For every dollar the record and media executives earn by exploiting the word ‘nigger’ and the misrepresentation of black culture.
For every job I am qualified for but refused because I am black.
For every bit of black history that is not mainstreamed in America that was built on the backs and wombs of blacks.
For every black child on the pipeline from the education system to incarceration.
For every aspect of black history that is carelessly thrown into dumpsters.
For every health disparity both mental and medical received by blacks.
For every police officer who utilizes excessive force and kills blacks without any punishment.
For the hypocrisy that is white entitlement.
For every black man, woman and child ascribed to a life of less than because they are black.
For every black man, woman and child who have forgotten black history and the lives paid for what we are today.
For every black man, woman and child who cannot see the black humanity crisis that is evident.
For every black man, woman and child who remains silent and complacent.

For the fact that in 2013; I feel compelled, because the sign of the times to write such an article. I cannot celebrate July 4th Independence Day. 237 years later with all of the contributions made by blacks, we are still destroyed, denied, distracted, disenfranchised and devalued.