America at 250: Don't Ask Me to Celebrate

"Your arrogance makes you think everyone sees the American Dream the way you do."
—Dr. BLR

On July 4, 2026, America will celebrate its 250th birthday. There will be colorful fireworks, military flyovers, speeches from pseudo-politicians professing their love for this country and pretending to care about everyday Americans, and reminders that we live in the greatest country on Earth.

You can believe them, but I never will. 

I'll probably be sitting in front of my television, drinking a protein shake, watching the celebration from a distance—not because I hate America, but because I refuse to celebrate an idea that didn’t include my ancestors, which still hasn't been fully realized.

This monumental day always reminds me of Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 speech, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? His message was unambiguous if you had discerning ears and didn’t deny the truth. 

Nearly 175 years later, I'm asking a similar question.

What does America's 250th anniversary mean to those whose ancestors built this country and, to this day, are denied reparations? Should Native Americans celebrate it, even though their land was stolen? How about Japanese Americans who lived in internment camps set up by the American government? Let’s not forget the women who fought for their right to vote against men who looked like the sons they birthed. Lastly, should immigrants, who were invited to this country to help build it, now be told to leave because their services are no longer needed, and whose children they birthed while living in America, be told they aren’t American? 

Before anyone accuses me of hating America, just pump the brakes. Hate is a very strong word. I am an American and have earned the right to respectfully disagree. 

I served this country in the United States Army Reserve for six years. I spent twenty-five years wearing the uniform of the New Jersey State Police and risked my career to expose wrongdoing because I believed integrity mattered more than silence. I ultimately became an educator because I wanted to teach and prepare future law enforcement officers for the job’s inherent stress. 

It bothers me when Americans confuse patriotism with blind obedience. We should be required to question the chosen leaders without being accused of betrayal. This act shows your love because you believe in it and want the best for it as well. 

Yet we celebrate the Founding Fathers, many of whom enslaved people. We place their faces on our currency, which reminds us to give them a pass because their transgressions occurred so long ago. We also proudly sing the Star-Spangled Banner without acknowledging that Francis Scott Key owned slaves. If all men are created equal, why were slaves counted only as 3/5ths, and why are we still challenging the authenticity of many of our citizens?  

Many Americans have selective memory, but history is learned and lived. It explains what has taken place and how the future will be shaped by those who pay attention. It includes the wealth, suburban neighborhoods, premium healthcare, and all the accoutrements of inherited advantages. It also includes the poor, the drug-addicted, and those with mental health challenges. No, this doesn’t apply to everyone in these categories, but you get the gist.

Yet whenever these obvious facts are exposed, the refrain, "Get over slavery," always rears its head. I always retort, “You mean, its greatest sin?” But why? Historically, Black people have enjoyed legal civil rights protections for only about sixty years. My parents and grandparents lived through segregation. I was born before many of those protections became law. There are people alive today who remember being denied the right to vote, attend certain schools, or eat in certain restaurants. So how does anyone get over that? I thought so… Decouple yourself from your ignorance, and then we can have a conversation. 

Americans love celebrating victories but never acknowledge their failures. That mirror never seems to reflect those issues. They will champion the passive among the minority communities. Thus, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, but it still remains the most brutal among developed countries. Oh, the contradictions.

We’ve cited the Declaration of Independence while attacking programs designed to correct generations of discrimination, but is that just Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion run amok? They praise equality until it looks like competition and becomes reverse discrimination. The architect of most of the division in America today is President Donald J. Trump, who calls other countries shitholes, accuses people of eating cats and dogs, makes fun of disabled people, removes Black monuments from historic sites, overturns civil rights precedent, and expects all Americans to cheer on its birthday. 

As today's political and demographic landscape changes, fear remains one of America's favorite political tools. What is that fear? Immigrants, the browning of its citizens, and uncomfortable truths. Don't misunderstand me. We’ve accomplished many extraordinary things, but by the same token, we’ve taken a few steps backward in protecting our citizens' personal freedoms. We have never been perfect, and we need to continue pushing our elected officials to represent our interests. America will never receive reverence until it makes amends. 

The story created for this date will evolve, but will future generations be like their forefathers and ancestors, put on their blinders, and maintain a supremacy that has continually failed us? 

I will acknowledge the date, but I won't wave a flag or cheer just to appear patriotic. However, I will be on the front line when justice is truly colorblind, when everyone is treated as equals, and when we spend more on resources for our people than on war. 

Until then, I will continue to hold America accountable for all that it does because authentic patriotism will never ask its citizens to forget.