Correction: We misspelled Fredrick Douglass’s name. Thank you to the person who let us know!
On Tue, Jul 4, 2023 at 10:36 PM WIDE Lincoln <[email protected]> wrote: > As we continue to grow in our understanding of our history and the impacts > on everyone in our country, state and town, holidays like the Fourth of > July, can become tricky to navigate. At WIDE we have been discussing the > best way to celebrate holidays like the Fourth of July for the last several > months. There are so many layers to the conversation. There are the beloved > town traditions--especially the parade, the town swim, and cookout--which > we all value. They bring us together as a town, they feel nostalgic even as > they are happening, they are happy memories in the making. > > But it is also important to remember that for many people in our country, > state, and town, today does not feel like one of celebration. Despite the > lofty words of the Declaration of Independence, its authors were > hypocritical at best, asking for freedom while continuing to enslave other > human beings. In the 2010s our town began reading the Declaration before > the parade. We know that the intent of this was to honor history, but in > doing so our community was also reading aloud racist characterizations of > Indigenous individuals. Members of the community have fought hard to > decrease the violence of the language that gets presented during the > reading--omitting the sections of hate speech--while allowing those who see > importance in the reading to retain the beneficial lessons from our > history. > > It is time to look at more ways to balance the day. For example, a reading > of The Meaning of the Fourth of July for the Negro by Frederick Douglas > or finding ways to acknowledge the work that continues to be needed in > order to bring us closer to achieving the goal written in the original > language of the Declaration, whether or not it was the original intent of > the drafters. We also would love to talk to other people in town who are > working to think through these complex issues. We want to speak to people > who have been involved in the town and its traditions, people who know and > love the history, and those who are dedicated to opening up our > celebrations to create real justice and a feeling of belonging for > everyone. > > > We'd love to hear from you. Contact us at [email protected]. > > > WIDE Lincoln > > Abbey Salon > > Rachel Schachter > > Jessica Packineau > > Jena Salon > > Marika Hamilton > > Moha Desai > > > > > >
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