President Obama this morning hosted a Fourth of July naturalization ceremony for active duty U.S. servicemen and women at the White House, greeting those assembled, "I could not be prouder to be among the first to greet you as, 'my fellow Americans.'” I was born here in the States, so I didn't have to take the test which these new Americans had to pass. Judging by a recent Xavier University survey, I wonder if we natural-born 'Murricans had to take a test to retain that automatic citizenship, we might have some trouble:
Whereas 97.5 percent of immigrants achieved a passing grade of 60 percent, only 65 percent of citizens born here passed. If the passing grade had been 70, the Xavier researchers reported, only 50 percent of the natives would have passed.
You can take some of the test here; I highly recommend it. It stands to reason that on a day during which we celebrate our country's independence by blowing up pretty bombs and eating tubed meat, we also take time to put that independence in context, receive a reminder about the freedoms some of our ancestors won that day, and recognize how we're putting those freedoms into practice.
Seventy-six years and a day after July 4, 1776, when slavery still ravaged our country, a former slave spoke up about America's annual celebration. Frederick Douglass delivered a brutal speech in 1852 which, to this day, serves as a lens through which many an American (myself included) views today's holiday. Kai Wright has an eloquent piece up at Colorlines today which expounds on that concept, quoting at length what I feel is the most powerful passage, which Douglass delivered at the end:
Wikipedia
Frederick Douglass in 1856.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour.
The speech is called "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," but seems now more commonly known by a kinder version of that most declarative question: "What, to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?" Douglass' words may be considered outdated to some. The savagery of slavery is gone, having left behind its potent spirit, racism, in the very foundation and girders of our society.
But when we see regular reminders from white writers about what it was like for white people in 1776, Douglass remains necessary. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, historian Thomas Fleming assesses what America looked like back in the day, never mentioning slavery once:
Those Americans, it turns out, had the highest per capita income in the civilized world of their time. They also paid the lowest taxes—and they were determined to keep it that way.
That must've been nice for them, but our African ancestors and their descendants continue to be plagued by an invisibility of experience which necessitates revisiting Douglass, and other historical accounts which address our country's complicated past. Even current stories outside of a racial context, such as that about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton apologizing to Pakistan, remind me of what Melissa noted in her Footnote: that "Independence Day is more aspirational than actual," and that one can wave the flag proudly for an imperfect country.
Salamishah Tillet, a past "MHP" guest and University of Pennsylvania professor (and my former classmate there), wrote a stirring piece for NPR on Tuesday about the lens through which she views the so-called American Dream -- the legendary singer Nina Simone, who meditated on freedom in the clip above in 1969:
Flashback. The time is 1969 in New York. Donning a short afro, bamboo earrings and a West-African batik-patterned dress, Nina Simone sits in her living room for a documentary interview. The question posed: "What does freedom mean to you?" She starts off causally and impersonally and in a split second turns dead serious, she confesses, "I'll tell you what freedom is to me — no fear! ... If I could have that half my life, no fear." She goes on: "It is something really, really to feel — like a new way of seeing."
Salamishah writes that, per the video clip above, Simone's thoughts on freedom are followed on the PBS show by a rendition of Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free":
In her hands, Taylor's song becomes part prayer, part prophecy. Here, Simone lengthens the song until it feels like the whole room is ready for it to be over. Her ad libs themselves invite the audience to join her, transforming her singular mediation on freedom into a communal desire. While Taylor's version brings us to church, Simone brings the church to the streets. This difference is as subtle as it is important. Taylor invokes an African-American sacred song tradition — 19th-century spirituals that could only sing of a heavenly versus an earthly freedom.
Simone, on the other hand, transposes Taylor's original into a group-participation song more suitable for a protest march than a Methodist pew. But instead of stripping down the musical accompaniment, she revved it up, inviting more and more people to bring freedom down to earth.
Though we view our 236-year-old country through many disparate lenses, it has never been more essential that we see all of it for what it is, and accept just how imperfect it remains.
Melissa's Independence Day Footnote is below.
Footnote: Melissa Harris-Perry shares her favorite Independence Day story of the week about a class of inmates who received their G.E.D.s at the correctional facility on Rikers Island.
Leave a Comment:
It must suck to be you, a cynic woman of color, playing the race and blame card.
First, this thoughtful and smart piece was not written by a woman. Second, this is exactly what contemplating our "independence" should include. Third, you are an idiot.
Thank you . I appreciate being reminded both of the greatness of our past and also reminded of the imperfect nature that we share as humans and the great work that we all share to make our nation one that continues to strive toward a more perfect humanity.
Regarding the video segment - Maybe Ms Harris-Perry should go ask why those people are inmates at Rikers. I agree "It must suck to be you, a cynic woman of color, playing the race and blame card." Typical liberal leftist, not clue about history and the way things used to be. Times change and if you think about what happened years ago with a perspective of today, then you really don't understand much about the world. Let me see if I can make this simple. 400 years ago in Africa, when one tribe attacked another tribe, they would take prisoners and sell them as slaves. That is the way it was. This still happens today in third world countries. Americans would find this barbaric, and should. I feel like I am wasting electrons trying to explain this to an idiot, cynic woman of color, playing the race and blame card.
While one can always find faults and imperfections on our past, I wish you could see America for what it truly is ... the hope for freedom in the world! The founding fathers did not intend to :build this country on the backs of slaves." The Consitution limited a slaves count in voting by 3/5ths so it would limit the South's influence on national affairs. Many Founding Fathers were outwardly vocal against slavery. Slavery was, unfortunately, part of this country's past, but it was the dream of Freedom, spoken of in the Declaration and Constitution, that later spurred this land to grant equality to slaves and women!
Americam though not perfect, is still the place where immigrants come to shake offthe tyranny of their home countries, political and social, to be given a chance to follow their dreams of propserity and freedom for them and their families.
I celebrate the freedom that America offers ALL of its citizens. I am blessed to have friends of many ethnic backgrounds, and they all realize what a privilage it is to be an American! Despite our short-comings, America is still the place where anyone can follow their dreams! Success is never a guarantee. But to have the opportunity to try, to dream, to pursue a new coursea for you and your posterity is what makes America so great!
Thank God those 55 men pledged their lives, wealth and sacred honor to stand for freedom. Many of them gave everything, health and wealth, for that cause.
Focusing on the problems never made anyone a success. One must throw of "victem-hood" and see their countrymen as MLK wished... Not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character!
Happy 4th of July!
While one can always find faults and imperfections in our past, I wish you could see America for what it truly is ... the hope for freedom in the world! Our founding fathers did not intend to “build this country on the backs of slaves." The Constitution limited a slave’s count by 3/5ths so it would limit the South's voting influence on national affairs. Many Founding Fathers were outwardly vocal against slavery. Slavery was, unfortunately, part of this country's past, but it was the dream of Freedom, as spoken in the Declaration and Constitution, that later spurred this land to grant equality to both slaves and women!
America, though not perfect, is still the place where immigrants come to shake off the tyranny of their home countries, politically and socially, to take advantage of the chance to follow their dreams of prosperity and freedom, for them and their families.
I celebrate the freedom that America offers ALL of its citizens. I am blessed to have friends of many ethnic backgrounds, and they all realize what a privilege it is to be an American! Despite our short-comings, America is still the place where anyone can follow their dreams! Success is never a guarantee. But to have the opportunity to try, to dream, to pursue a new course for you and your posterity is what makes America so great!
Thank God those 55 men pledged their lives, wealth and sacred honor to stand for freedom. Many of them lost everything in paying the price of freedom. Those that survived served their remaining days, doing their best to ensure that this American Experiment would have the best chance to be a beacon of freedom to the world!
Focusing on the problems never made anyone a success. One must throw of "victim-hood" and see his and her countrymen as MLK wished... “{Not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character!” Everyone has a chance in America!
Happy 4th of July!
I would suggest to Ms Harris-Perry, obviously a hard left America hating liberal, that she has a very wide pick to choose from of other countries to live in if America is so bad. Her ideal Fourth of July is Rikers inmates getting their GED? What the hell! If we are such a racist country why do we have a Black president & why does Ms Harris-Perry have her own television show. What about the fact that we live in the greatest country on God's green earth.
As always and forever there will be people of color and caucasions who think they know what it feels like or what it supposed to feel like for another individual to be an American,be it black or white.The truth of the matter is this;whites want blacks to get over the past and blacks want whites to remember it.African-Americans need to understand that White-americans will never look at us as their equals,and we need to stop looking at them for validation.We are only American in name itself in the regards to each other.No one will openly say what they really,really feel about the next because this is a nation of cowards and fools,and yes idiots too a lot of them white and a lot of them black!Yes a nation of hypocrisy just like a lot of the rest of this planet full of greed no understanding and everyone wanting to be right all the time.Texas is my state and Dallas is were I call home; some towns throughout the state only have white residents and I would not be welcome there but as they say "I thought this was America people"?For all of you who think you have the answers to all the questions give it a rest,sure there are millions of blacks who aren't worth a plugged nickel but to the same token there are millions of whites who are worth about the same.You simply must treat someone the same way you like to be treated because you are human beings right!What really matters are the kinds of mistakes we make and how detramental they are in our life going forward.A lot of you get by everyday doing something wrong you just don't get caught and we all know as long as your not caught then its not doing wrong in America.Sure I love this place for its opportunity of success but I hate it for its hypocrisy that we all live.This is the place your forfathers built but many people of all backgrounds helped.I understand whites don't get the slave concept and the fact this country is dominated by the white race in all aspects of life,we all live it everyday;Obama is just a politician,a felon getting his GED in prison is just that a felon getting his GED in prison.He or she made a choice in what was considered illegal by law in this country and will pay for that as I am by people seeing them as being nothing more for the remainder of their life but as felons.We talk and talk and talk some more because the reason is you are free to run your mouth even when nothing is coming out of it but thats the greatness of AMERICA right!Maybe one day something bigger and badder will come moseing down the trail that will humble us all but until then I'm sure we all will just keep running our mouths as usual hiding behind THE CONSTITUTION and using it for everything but the common sense that it should stand for."GOD BLESS ALL" since I suppose he created all or maybe its "EVOLUTION BLESS ALL"for those who believe that.Either way,take it how you want to America.....GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!