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Home » The Latest from CSE » WATCH VIDEOS: The Ca…

WATCH VIDEOS: The Campaign for Southern Equality Team Explores: “What To The ______ Is the 4th of July?”

July 2, 2020 in News by Holiday Simmons

On July 5, 1852 Frederick Douglass delivered the epic speech, “What To the Slave is the 4th of July,” addressing approximately 500 attendees in Rochester, NY. Douglass was a fiery orator, a writer, and an adamant abolitionist who spoke from being born as an enslaved person who eventually was emancipated by the time of this speech.

In the speech Douglass condemns the United States for being untrue to its founding principles of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. He laments, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us [negroes]?”

He pushes forward his thesis: “This Fourth July [sic] is yours, not mine” [italics his]. Indeed, he says, to ask a Black person to celebrate the white man’s freedom from oppression and tyranny is “inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.”

In addition to Black people being enslaved and considered property in 1852, Indigenous people were also being subjected to systematic genocide, removed from their tribal lands, and Native children were being forced into inhumane boarding schools. To add, women could not vote or own property. People with disabilities were treated less than human and considered to be burdens to their families. Same-sex romantic relationships and behaviors were illegal and completely ostracized. Then, as now in 2020, only the elite white, wealthy, heterosexual, cisgender, able-bodied men were granted these so-called inalienable rights of the 1776 Constitution.

So why do so many of us still excitedly celebrate Independence Day? Every year I am appalled at how many people casually ask me, “What are you doing for the Fourth?” Perhaps it’s just a thoughtless tradition that we engage in without a critical eye. Maybe we just want an excuse to bar-b-que with family and friends and watch fireworks. Whatever the reason, our team at Campaign for Southern Equality is exploring this question this year. During this unique time of living in both a global health pandemic and a global racial pandemic in the fight for Black lives, we want to be critical with this question and with this holiday.

On Thursday, July 2, CSE team members interviewed community members for short conversational interviews with our supporters on the question of “What to the _______ Is the Fourth of July?” filling in the blank with, for example, “Black person,” or “Indigenous person,” or “lesbian,” or the “person with a disability,” etc.

Here are the interviews!

Holiday Simmons with Laila Nur

 

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Interview with Black Queer Muslim organizer punk musician @officiallailanur of the @themuzlimz

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 8:51am PDT

Laila Nur (@officiallailanur) is a Black, queer, non-binary Muslim who is a community organizer, parent, singer/songwriter, and front person for the queer Muslim punk band The Muslims

Ivy Hill with Jonatan Guerrero Ramirez

 

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A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 2:20pm PDT

Al Murray and Adrian Parra

 

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Adrian Parra and Al Murray on the 4th of July

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 10:53am PDT

Holiday Simmons with K. Tahji Claybern

K. Tahji Claybern (@quirkyblackgyal) is a Black transwoman, reiki practicioner, and social worker

 

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Interview with @quirkyblackgyal , Black trans femme social worker ?

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 11:26am PDT

Liz Williams and Spike Thompson

 

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A conversation with the organizer and poet Spike Thompson on what the Fourth of July represents to them. Please check out the resources and work @ispyspike is doing!

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 5:37pm PDT

Wynston Sanders with Loan Tran

 

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Conversation with @nloantran about this question and more!!

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 2:09pm PDT

Liz Williams and Gabbi Santander

 

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Liz in conversation with the artist Gabbi Santander on what the 4th of July represents to them. @gabbi.fotos please checkout their amazing art work and resources!! Also here are some amazing people and their IG accounts mentioned in our conversation: @ihartericka @sonyareneetaylor @rachel.cargle @lamarodowens

A post shared by Campaign for Southern Equality (@southernequality) on Jul 2, 2020 at 3:26pm PDT


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