On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass, an orator and abolitionist who escaped enslavement at age 20, gave a speech at an event commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Rochester, New York titled, “The Meaning of July Fourth to the Negro.” In the speech he asked “What, to a slave, is the 4th of July?” He also went on to say, "This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." While he wrote this more than a hundred and sixty years ago when chattel slavery was still the law of the land, these words felt achingly salient to me as a Black man living in a country where oppression of Black people persists. I didn’t start here, but after crossing many rivers, my evolution brought me from Independence to Emancipation Day. As a young boy I really enjoyed the parades, cookouts, and the fireworks (especially the fireworks) that accompanied the 4th of July celebrations. Some of my happiest childhood memories involved traveling with my family...