deepening our call for an antiracist future.

More than a century after Frederick Douglass’ inquiry - what to the American slaves is your 4th of July? - the thought continues to echo in every facet of American life. As the quintessential American holiday nears, I am reflecting on Douglass’ words and inviting us all to reclaim this holiday in our continued fight for social justice. At a moment where we are witnessing the damage a conservative ruling class can have on our institutional rights including the overturn of Roe v Wade and most recently affirmative action in higher education, we need to deepen our call for an antiracist future.

For immigrants like me, America signified an opportunity to seek out economic freedom. Coming from a Caribbean island where economic mobility was severely tied to the social class you are born in, migrating to the U.S was a major commitment to expand the possibilities for my family’s future. I know I share this truth with many immigrants who now call America home. As Fourth of July approaches, I come back to this truth - yet my gratitude remains bittersweet as I see the disconnection that continues to harm our society and pull apart our humanity despite our shared need to belong, to be free.?

This land that we call home is a living testament of the genocidal foundation of America. The toll that Black & Indigenous Americans have taken on to fulfill the American promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is part of an unwritten tax that remains despite our aching call for freedom. In current culture, Black Americans have fueled American creativity and influence into a global lexicon. Yet too many are in a cycle of survival despite their essential role in creating the America we revere today.

To reclaim July 4th for social justice is to set aside a moment to reflect on our collective needs. If we remain focused on individual wants, we will continue to break at the fabric that holds us in place. The wear and tear of our society’s foundation is leaving us more fragile than ever. Systemic action calls for the collective to rise up, not just the individual. We need tenderness amongst one another, whether you are on the frontlines of our movements or shifting systems from the inside, we need to organize our future together with humility and care. It is time we remove the veil of division and discord which continues to cloud our judgment and separate our struggles. Collective care, truth and justice are the tools we need to reset this moment. The pursuit of justice requires our collective response; we cannot go at it alone.?

My invitation for this holiday is for us to reflect on whether our sympathy has replaced compassion, and whether our compassion has been fueled into systemic action. We need to place anti-racism and equity at the center of all our actions.The societal ills of today require us to look beyond ourselves and to seek out connection amongst one another, to seek out truth. Let us reclaim this holiday as one where we look to love to be our guiding ethos.

con amor y cari?o,

Beya.