This Fourth of July, Freedom Must Be for All of Us

Every year, as fireworks light up the sky and the nation celebrates its independence, I find myself reflecting on the words of Frederick Douglass, spoken on July 5, 1852:

“What, to the American slave, is your Fourth 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.”

Today, 173 years later, his words still echo. For Black Americans, the Fourth of July has always been a complicated commemoration. It is a day that declared freedom for some, while millions remained enslaved. It is a day that rings with ideals of liberty and justice, yet those promises were built on land taken and people stolen.

And yet, as Douglass declared then and we affirm now, we have always found ways to claim our freedom – even when it wasn’t given.

At the BRIC Fund, we exist because Douglass’s indictment of America’s hypocrisy still rings true in so many ways. We were created in answer to the underfunding, undervaluing, and underinvestment in Black-led solutions. We are building what Douglass demanded – a nation that lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.

I think about Harriet Tubman, who said:

“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more, if only they knew they were slaves.”

Her words remind us that freedom is not just about laws or declarations. It is about unshackling the mind, restoring dignity, protecting rights, and creating spaces where we can thrive on our own terms.

At BRIC, this work is about more than grants and programs – it is about building the freedom Douglass envisioned. By investing in Black-led and serving nonprofits, providing low-interest capital to help organizations own and strengthen their spaces, and developing the leadership of hundreds of Black and Brown nonprofit leaders, we are helping to create the conditions for our communities to thrive.

Each of these efforts is a step toward the kind of lasting freedom and self-determination our ancestors dreamed of and fought for – freedom rooted in economic security, cultural pride, and the power to define our own futures.

Still, as Douglass warned and the country’s current state demonstrates, our work is far from over. We see the persistence of wage gaps, the generational wealth stolen, the efforts to erase Black history from classrooms, and the rising attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

This Independence Day, I celebrate the resilience, brilliance, and audacity of OUR people. I celebrate the freedom we’ve seized, the liberation we continue to fight for, and the future we are building together.

Because true freedom is not partial. It is not conditional. It is not selective. It is for all of us, or it is not freedom at all.

May we continue to be steadfast and resolute in our pursuit of a freedom that leaves no one behind. Join us, and together WE will build a future where freedom truly belongs to us all.

To get involved and support BRIC, go to www.bricfund.org/get-involved