Independence Day: A piece of Eurocentric mythology


I want to wish a Happy Independence Day to all. I’m sure many of you will fire up the grills, down a few beers, and set off some fireworks in celebration. I will fire up my grill as well, but it won’t be in celebration of Independence Day: it will be in recognition of the centuries of lies erected by the Founding Fathers.

I consider the Fourth of July celebration as a piece of Eurocentric mythology. It reminds me not of American independence-it reminds me of the hypocrisy we continue to live by because African Americans weren’t included. It represents how we’ve been thoroughly brainwashed in public schools and institutions of higher learning. America, particularly African Americans, have been hypnotized to buy into a collection of historical lies.

Lets’ examine.

Back in the 1770’s the American forefathers grew weary of British rule. Americans were tired of being taxed by the British without proper representation. The forefathers said they’ll lay down their lives to fight for their rights. On March 23, 1775 American patriot Patrick Henry gave a famous speech when he stated, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

The Founding Fathers wanted freedom and they got it. On July 4, 1776 The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the thirteen colonies in America. The author of the document Thomas Jefferson wrote the following: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

All men are created equal? Give me a break.

If history is put in its proper prospective we all know equality didn’t exist for all then and it doesn’t now. What’s left out of curriculums in public schools and institutions of higher learning is the other side of the story called the truth.

Yes, the Founding Fathers wanted independence only for a select few-it was for white males who owned land. What many white historians omitted from history is one third of America’s population consisted of imported African slaves. Slaves had no rights or freedom too pursue anything that resembled independence: they were bound to the ugliness of slavery with no end in sight.

Independence for all?

Yes, Thomas Jefferson wrote a Declaration of Independence that would ensure equality for “all men” but what white historians failed to mention is he owned over 200 slaves. Jefferson fathered at least seven children from slave Sally Hemmings. While Jefferson authored this famous document in his office he went back to his plantation to be with his two families-one African American and the other white.

How can a Founding Father author a document asserting independence for “all” yet allow institutionalized slavery to persist in society and on his property?

Hypocrisy!

What keeps the hypocrisy and mythology functioning is the education systems and colleges around the country. They fail to disseminate the truth in its entirety. We don’t need to be educated-we simply need to be properly informed. You get bad information you get bad education. The school curriculums weren’t set up to educate us correctly, they were set up to condition us to live based on fabrications and advertent omissions of historical facts.

I know I didn’t learn anything in public schools about my forefathers in Africa. I learned about American history and how it was written as HIS STORY.

We all need to understand the circumstances around our existence in America. African Americans need to know about the accolades and achievements garnered in ancient civilizations in Africa and beyond. The latter would help put American history in its proper context.

Let me be clear here: some of us don’t know or have a reason to question America’s mythology because we’ve been conditioned to not ask the right questions and simply accept American history as truth. The latter is no longer an excuse-consider yourselves informed.

I believe public school curriculums should be rewritten with colleges following suit. African American educators in this school system who know the truth should teach it without fear. Such chicanery as Independence Day should be rebuked. To continue to teach something that’s not true or fail to mention the truth in its entirety is no longer acceptable. An educator’s status should be utilized to liberate the minds and souls of those they touch. To not teach truth ensures another generation of minds will go to waste.

Hopefully you’ll have something to ponder as you celebrate your mythic independence. Like I said before, I will be firing up my grill but not in celebration. It will be in recognition of how we’ve been exploited by Eurocentric mythology and that I have what Founding Fathers didn’t want me to know and that’s the truth.

Happy Independence Day.

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