A Kwansaba for Baraka

It’s been 174 years since the famous abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, issued his scathing address on July 4 celebrations. The nation couldn’t handle the truth then, and it cannot handle it now. The Trump regime is giving us a harsh reality check as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.

I often boast of being a child of the 50’s and 60’s. That’s because those years, which included the compelling Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, helped to shape my political consciousness. But I also have to admit I was a child of the Cold War and the Vietnam War, which informed my developing worldview.

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.