One Day, Infinite Meanings

july fourth (n.) : a day spent with friends, filled with s'mores, barbecue, music, and all around happiness.

Image result for aesthetic july fourthThroughout his speech "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro", Frederick Douglass describes how differently slaves and white citizens experience this day. On complete opposite ends of the spectrum, white citizens see this holiday as a time for celebration, while slaves don't even view it as a holiday. Instead, it's just another day that reminds slaves of the "immeasurable distance" between them. Douglass wrote, "This Fourth July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." This quote truly represents the different meanings the day holds for each individual. While the Fourth of July came to be to celebrate the freedom of the United States as a whole, ironically, the country was still filled with people with zero freedom at this time. 
Nowadays, people seemed to have forgotten the original meaning behind Independence Day. Few people actually think about all the sacrifices made in order for the country to be the way it is. I am definitely guilty of this. To me, the Fourth of July is just a day that I spend having fun with friends and getting good shopping deals. To my little brother, it's a day of "yummy barbecue" and staying out late watching fireworks. But during an interview, veteran Kevin Birkinsha, who served in the navy for five years, says it should be a day of celebrating service members and what they fought for. Birkinsha thinks that the "commercialization of Independence Day has caused it to be less meaningful throughout history", and I'd have to agree with him. 


Comments

  1. Dhatri MedarametlaSeptember 9, 2018 at 4:55 PM

    Sophia, I love how you took Douglass's quote and related it to our current time period. I never realized how commercialized the Fourth of July has become in our country. Whenever it comes to that time of year, I always see stores with deals on fireworks, hot dogs, and other red, white, and blue merchandise. However, I also take part in this regard by buying these products or hanging out with my friends rather than realizing the true meaning behind the holiday. Next year, I'll be sure to keep history in mind and celebrate the Fourth more meaningfully.

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  2. Esther ChoiSeptember 9, 2018 at 8:02 PM

    Sophia, I also agree with you and Birkinsha about how the true meaning of the Fourth of July has decreased as time as passed on. It is so true that what the Fourth of July is advertised to be shifts the focus from the actual celebration of independence to barbecue, fireworks, and parties. The irony that you found in the quote from Frederick Douglass's speech struck me; I never realized that not all people in the US at that time were given freedom, and yet there was a holiday called "Independence Day" that existed. From now on, I'll be sure to remember to celebrate the real meaning of the Fourth of July and having independence for all people in the US.

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