OUAT Blog for July 4th
Eat, drink and make merry this 4th of July! Many of us can think back
to our childhood to fireworks, cookout's, beaches, lakes and many other
memories we celebrated with siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents
on Independence Day. Right? One of the
hallmarks of the summer season is this "Lipton Ice Tea Plunge" time
of year when we literally went outside to have FUN! However, as some of
us have gotten older and started to look into the meaning behind the holiday,
it suddenly got a little complicated, depending on your point of view.
As an African American and a member of the First Nation of the Tuscarora
Indians I can fully appreciate that on July 4th, 1776 a sizeable portion of my
ancestors who happened to be here and had any part in the revolutionary war did
so under very "interesting" circumstances. Notwithstanding that in
short order, the legalization of slave labor marking the mass importation of
African men, women and children against their will to the newly liberated
former colonies, would set in motion a social direction that our country, to
this day, has struggled to come to terms with. Not to mention the geocide and near
extermination of native tribes throughout the former colonies, which
is still a blithe on the consciousness of this country.
Today's
blog, however, is not about uncovering uncomfortable and unpleasant
truths behind this national holiday, it is about understanding, yet
again, the importance of coming to terms with what is the actual origin
story
of our nation and how we individually play a part in that story
today. Likewise, it is also about the attitude we have in celebrating
this holiday with our friends, families and loved ones and the story we
frame for future generations to come.
As I stated in my opening, I recall many a firework display and an endless stream of those glittery sparkling sticks. The notion that the idea of an independent and free country would be able to celebrate its freedoms collectively is a good notion, a good thing. Whether we can actually pull it off in this current climate of constant terror threats and pending, looming fear is another challenge altogether, depending on your politics and attitude.
For my part, I would hope that the memories I have of the free, friendly,
family and community celebrations of my youth will be passed on to my daughter
for her to share with her children in the years to come. I hope that the
readers of this blog would want to pass along the same, if not similar
experiences for their children, their neighbors children and extended families,
to expand the narrative that TODAY we are a nation of diverse people who have
one key thing in common, a celebration of freedom and hope for a brighter, brilliant future.
If you can, spend time with a young person today, planting a positive memory
that he or she will want to share when they get to be your age. Remember that we were all children
once, running, playing and having fun. Keep in mind also that today’s
children will one day be tomorrow’s adults and they will take our place sharing their
stories about us, to their children and to the generations to come.
