AMERICA’S 250 YEARS CELEBRATION: A REFLECTION
- josephjolette
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” – Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th United States President
Two hundred and fifty years after the founding of the United States and the Declaration of Independence in 1776, these questions remain: How inclusive is American democracy? Does “We the People” include every U.S. citizen? How can all Americans see themselves reflected in “We the People”? What does it mean to be an American?
By the late nineteenth century, the powerful European nations had mastered their skills in the brutal invasions, conquer, divide, and rule approach to colonialism. This violent exploitation occurred for about four hundred years in Asia, the Pacific, Africa and the Americas. The new world originally inhabited by Native Americas, and that would later become the United States of America was founded through a combination of European colonization, colonial resistance to British rule, and the Revolutionary War, culminating in the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Thirteen Colonies that were established relied heavily on enslaved African labor. But since the country was founded, America has been lopsided arranged across racial lines. The country has institutionalized a master- subordinate relationship among its citizens based on a non-scientific racial ideology since its founding. “The history of the United States is a history of settler-colonization – the founding of a state based on the ideology of white supremacy, the wide-spread practice of African slavery, and a policy of genocide and land theft” (Dunbar Ortiz, p.2).
America's Founding Principles
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. The Founding principles of the United States are rooted in the belief that all individuals are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, including “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”. At the heart of the founding principles of the United States of America lies the philosophy of natural rights. These rights are viewed as inherent entitlements that individuals possess simply by virtue of being human.
Human beings possess rights independent of any governing or societal power by their nature of existence. The notion that natural rights are intrinsic to human beings forms the basis for the founding ideals of America, ensuring that the government is established to protect these rights and promote the well-being and happiness of its citizens. The concept of unalienable rights is deeply rooted in the belief that all humans share a common nature that grants them these rights. Throughout human history, the intrinsic dignity and moral worth of individuals have informed the fundamental principles of freedom and equality. These principles are not just abstract ideals; they are the bedrock of a just society where individual liberty is protected, and equal rights are upheld.
The Declaration of Independence (1776), drafted by Thomas Jefferson, embodies the idea that a government exists primarily to protect the natural rights of its citizens and that government is held accountable for the rights of individuals. The Declaration emphasizes the importance of natural rights in American democracy. It articulates the belief that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This powerful assertion laid the foundation for the American experiment, where the government’s role is to protect and promote these fundamental rights.
Individual Liberty, and Equal Rights
The Declaration’s principles remind us of the core values that underpin our nation and the ongoing responsibility to uphold these ideals in our governance and societal structures. These noble principles enshrined in the United States Declaration of Independence emphasizes that individual liberty is essential for the protection of personal freedoms and equality among citizens. They ensure that every American citizen should enjoy the benefits of freedom, liberty, and justice. As the United States of America celebrates two hundred and fifty years of its existence, one wonders if the country has learned any lessons from its history. How can American build a democracy that truly includes everyone?
Democracy's Unfinished Work
As America marks 250 years of independence, the question remains: who truly belongs in its democracy? The meaning of “We the People” is complete only when every American can claim it as their own.
Now is the time to defend that promise through justice, equality, and belonging.
“Democracy is strongest when every voice is heard and every person belongs.” Let us finish the work—and make “We the People” mean all of us.
Stand with Coalition4Justice and help make that promise a lived reality for every American.
Join us today—because democracy is not complete until it includes us all.
~Dr. Bernadine Ahonkhai, Coalition4Justice Founder & CEO