As a white woman living in America who believes in equality for all, I find it difficult to celebrate the birth of a nation that was born out of colonialism. Rarely does a day go by when I do not reflect upon this, but today it feels acute. As, I believe, it should.

Let us not forget that slavery and genocide built the country we call America, and that to be a “free and independent” nation, we tried to erase the people who rightfully call this land home. Although we cannot change our shared past, we can be aware of its imperfections. We can be aware that we still have a long road to travel to repair our wrongs and ensure that every person is afforded equal rights and protections.