Every year, when the grills fire up and the skies light up with fireworks, Frederick Douglass' words come back around:

It wasn’t a rhetorical question. It was a bold callout of the hypocrisy this country was built on. While white Americans celebrated their independence from Britain, millions of Black people were still enslaved, living without freedom, without rights, and without acknowledgment.

And in many ways, we’re still navigating that disconnect.

In 2025, the Fourth of July feels different depending on who you are and where you sit in this country’s story. For some, it’s just a day off. A reason to gather with family, eat good food, and maybe wear a flag tee from Target. But for others—especially Black Americans—it’s more complicated.

Because how do you celebrate a freedom that your ancestors weren’t given? How do you wave a flag for a country that still, in many ways, refuses to see your full humanity?

Let’s keep it real: the Fourth didn’t free us. Juneteenth did. And even that was late.

Today, Black Americans are still fighting for the very things that were promised centuries ago—equal protection under the law, fair access to the ballot, safety in our neighborhoods, dignity in our healthcare, justice in our courts. We’re still pushing against systems that weren’t built with us in mind.

So when Douglass asked that question back in 1852, he was demanding that America live up to its own words. Not just in theory, but in action.

You can love your people, your home, your community—and still challenge the country to be better. That’s not disloyal. That’s love with backbone.

So if you’re celebrating this year, do it your way. Play Frankie Beverly and Maze instead of Lee Greenwood. Educate the kids while the ribs are on the grill. Make space for joy, but also for truth.

Because until freedom, justice, and dignity are a reality for all of us, the Fourth of July will remain a reminder—not just of what’s been gained, but of what’s still owed.