“The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth [of] July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn,” said Frederick Douglass to a gathering of white abolitionists in New York on July 5, 1852 – 76 years and one day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Millions of African Americans remained enchained, while the Fugitive Slave Law meant that Blacks in the North faced the terrifying possibility of being returned to bondage in the South. Read Frederick Douglass’s full speech here. Another 150 years passed since, and Douglass might be pleased to see us celebrate Juneteenth, the date that recognizes when enslaved people in Texas found out that they had freedom. But what speech would he give today given that the country is still fighting against the senseless killing of Black people? We invite you to contemplate the meaning of those two celebratory days against the backdrop of recent events and the generational injustice that continues to afflict many African Americans. Along with fireworks and backyard BBQs, talk to your friends and family about freedom. What does it mean? For whom? Tell the stories of freedom fighters. Tell the story of your own struggles to be free and independent. Happy Independence Day.