What is the Fourth of July, unless we Make America Interdependently Great? Finally!

What to the 'Slave' is the Fourth of July?

This is the title of an oration given by Frederick Douglass on July 5th, 1852. I highly recommend reading this document in its entirety, as the relevance of its content has only been reignited by the national debate on race and American Identity.

I'm still learning about what a giant Douglass was, having emerged from the depths of slavery to become a famous abolitionist, orator, U.S. General Consul to Haiti, and active in American Politics. Douglass was way ahead of his time, particularly when placed in the context of how slow America has been to live up to his righteous convictions. For enslaved African Americans during his time, the Fourth of July was not about freedom and equality, but about the celebration of a system of supremacy that thrived to their detriment. Though his oration addresses the position of slaves, Douglass advocated for universal suffrage with women like Susan B Anthony, extending the call for freedom and equality beyond both race and gender. No one in America (then or now) should be in a state of submission or slavery, that would diminish their reason for celebrating 'Independence' Day.

And what about today? What does this mean for our time?

I thought I would use this 4th of July, as we deal with numerous explosive issues, to suggest how we might emerge from a debilitating pandemic, and join Douglass in thinking and acting ahead of our time, while Making America Interdependently Great, finally.

All of our Nation's ovations about Independence are just a meaningless as they were to slaves during Douglas's time, unless we begin adopting more interdependent and sustainable living practices. We must also realize that the imperfection of our current system, as made woefully clear by the pandemic, is still based on forms of slavery. Ultimately, for our national celebration to mean more than the spent casings of fireworks littering the streets, we need to start instituting serious and significant changes.

We need to abolish a system of debt which makes living today unreasonably difficult for average people, while simultaneously mortgaging the future and remaining equity in our planet that mitigates human extinction.

We should replace the current economic system with one which does not parade around as a free market, while seeking any and every opportunity to place those who should be collaborating partners, into positions of submission and outright slavery.

We need to martial 'interdependency' locally, nationally and beyond for the purpose of creating various levels of sustainable energy, industry, agriculture, and commerce. The millions of jobs recently lost are needlessly languishing, when a massive redesign of most aspects of human activity could put them to use.

Finally, we need to save the fireworks for the day when we can truly say that America has begun to lead the world in the pursuit of interdependent greatness and resist using them towards mutually assured destruction.