Hundreds of cities and towns across the country are expected to host gatherings. The movement is designed to counter what advocates describe as efforts to erase the contributions and experiences of Black and brown communities from American history.
Nicole Carty, executive director of Get Free, a youth-led movement focused on advancing democracy and equality, said the Fourth of July should acknowledge the full spectrum of American history, including the harms the country continues to inflict.
“We're in a giant rollback of civil rights,” Carty said. “We're seeing a militarized effort to remove Black and brown immigrants from the country. We can't tell a whitewashed version of our story that is erasing this violence that's going on right now.”
Carty said the gatherings also will focus on how ignoring difficult aspects of the country’s history perpetuates inequality and violence, and on the importance of repair in achieving a free America for all.
Carty said addressing historical harms has benefited all Americans. She noted the 14th Amendment, which was created to address post-slavery inequality, paved the way for LGBTQ and women’s rights.
“When Black people get free, when Native people get free, we all get free,” Carty said. “And so we have a collective interest in continuing to address these harms to unleash a fair and just society for everyone who is here.”
The Trump administration called for unity at a rally this week to kick off Independence Day celebrations. But its “Freedom 250” initiative to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary has drawn backlash from critics who say it fosters division instead of solidarity.
Carty said the occasion should be joyous and should forecast a future America that is inclusive to all.
“The only future that whitewashing our history gets us to is one where we are still unequal and only some wealthy white men have all of the rights,” Carty said. “That's very much what we're seeing being constructed by the federal government.”
Last week, a federal judge ruled the Trump administration must restore materials referencing slavery, Indigenous people, and the climate crisis that had been ordered removed from national parks across the country. The administration has until Independence Day to comply.
Find a list of planned events at allofus250.org.