BY JOURNEY MARTIN '21

What does it mean to be American? As a black American woman, this is something I constantly ask myself. We celebrate our independence on July 4, when the 13 colonies claimed independence in 1776 from England. We celebrate by dressing up in our national flag’s colors and watching fireworks at the end of the night. However, how does this day represent independence for black Americans when we were still enslaved during this time?