see url:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/07/02/how-you-celebrate-the-fourth-of-july/?itid=hp-banner-low
see full report...
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About US is an initiative by The Washington Post to explore issues of
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The tradition of celebrating Independence Day in America holds roots in
the days following the Continental Congress formally adopting the
Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. A few days later, bands
played and bells rang as public readings took place in Philadelphia’s
Independence Square.
For many people, this year’s celebrations will echo the tunes of decades
past: gatherings with music and friends and food and fireworks, all in
honor of American freedoms and pride. For many others, however, the day
doesn’t hold the same meaning — it is not a symbol of freedom. It never was.
Frederick Douglass, speaking at a commemorative event for the
Declaration of Independence on July 5, 1852, offered a sentiment that
still resonates with some Americans today: “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.”
Last month, Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act
and President Biden signed the bill into law, formally adding June 19,
the day in 1865 when slavery ended in Texas, to the roster of nationally
recognized holidays. Although many White Americans weren’t familiar with
the day, or its significance, until last year’s racial reckoning after
the killing of George Floyd, many Black Americans have long celebrated
Juneteenth and some have incorporated its traditions into their Fourth
of July observances.
What is Juneteenth?
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