Happy 4th of July!

Frederick Douglass's 4th of July speech has great historical value. It exposes America's hypocrisy. However, the America that Douglass spoke about is not the America of today.

Through our sweat, blood and tears, we, the descendants of enslaved Africans, have chiseled and shaped this nation into a more democratic country. Through marches, rallies, civil disobedience, litigation and lobbying, we forced this nation to, in the words of Dr. King, live out the true meaning of its creed. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

As result of our struggle, we have the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act and many other civil rights laws that protect all citizens from racial discrimination. We went from being slaves to becoming mayors, Congressmen, governors, and even President of the United States.

African Americans have fought in every single American war from the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq. This is our country. The 4th of July is our holiday too. Happy Independence Day!