Coming out of jubilant Juneteenth
celebrations, most Black people in the U.S.
are feeling far less celebratory towards the
4th of July in 2026. We have been challenged
by the racist whitelash from the post-Obama
administration and a brutal wave of
repression by the Trump regime. The
anti-Black policies of MAGA have meant
erasure of our history, culture, and our
very existence.
Black people, whether they are
descendants of enslaved or free African
people, have a lot to reflect on. Slavery
has often been called the “original sin” of
the U.S., but that negates what white
settlers did to the land, culture, and lives
of the Indigenous peoples. The extraction of
land and genocide preceded slavery. There
are sad, but powerful, comparisons that
require our remembrance and attention.
Before Christopher Columbus set his
colonial foot on these shores in 1492, an
estimated 90 million native people thrived
here-as they had for thousands of years.
Currently, there are about seven million
people, the majority of whom are mixed race
and living outside of Indian reservations.
The genocide is real. The high incidence of
substance abuse and suicide is real.
Both Native Americans and African
Americans have endured the deception and
lies of the U.S. government. Both have
experienced forced relocations and the
extinction of settlements/neighborhoods.
Depending on our relationship with a
particular tribe, the Afro-Indigenous
history was complicated. Our two historic
relationships with white people have also
been complicated. Natives may have been
demonized as savages, but they were never
chattel slaves. Both our peoples have fought
valiantly for generations against white
supremacy and capitalist exploitation. We
have fought-sometimes in solidarity - for
freedom, land, and dignity.
I encourage Black individuals to
constantly evaluate our relationship with
those who have oppressed us, regardless of
how normalized it may seem. If we are to
have a sobering forecast of the future, it
must always start with our past. Our
ancestors gifted us with the concept of
Sankofa, which translates to “go back and
get it.” This means that we must examine the
past to inform, build, and guide our future.
Part of why Black folks are in the
straits we are in is because we have taken
the U.S. government at its word. We have
ignored the broken promises to native
peoples, and even those made to our own
people. Despite laws on the books, Black
people have lost land, sacred institutions,
and intellectual property. We’ve seen the
erosion of civil rights, including the
coveted right to vote, pushing us to the
bottom of the economic ladder, and in
general, making our lives unbearable.
Some experts predict that, given
the current trajectory, this country may not
survive another 250 years. Black people have
contributed significantly to this nation,
making undeniable sacrifices that have
strengthened its moral, political, cultural,
and economic fabric. To preserve this
struggling democracy, our path forward must
be fundamentally different.
Will we be full-fledged citizens in
the next 10, 25, or 50 years? Black people
have shown remarkable resilience and
strength in the face of brutal adversity. We
need to reflect on our own history in this
country, as well as the histories of other
people of color, and assess our
determination to fight for better outcomes.
Our future generations certainly do not
deserve the inhumane conditions we face
today.
