Princeton University professor Eddie S Glaude Jr, in his new book America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries, argues that the United States' 250th birthday celebrations come amid a normalizing of white supremacist rhetoric, the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, and threats to birthright citizenship. Glaude contends that Black Americans have always exposed the lie of a white republic, and that anniversaries reinforce myth-making at the expense of truth.
Historical cycles of racial violence
Glaude juxtaposes past racist violence against Black people with current-day attacks, describing a cyclical nature rooted in the nation's “divided soul.” He says America suffers from a double consciousness, imagining itself as both a beacon of freedom and a white republic. “Freedom is seen as the possession of a particular group of folk who can give it and take it away,” Glaude told the Guardian. He notes that progress is typically followed by backlash, as seen after Reconstruction and after the murder of George Floyd.
Racial flashpoints around anniversaries
The author highlights that political turmoil has historically reached a boiling point around Fourth of July celebrations. He points to the 1876 and 1926 anniversaries as times when Americans whitewashed history to preserve a specific idea of Americanness. “Disremembering is so important,” Glaude says, using Toni Morrison’s language to describe active forgetting that echoes “dismembering.” In 1876, after the Civil War, Black people were effectively disappeared from the narrative to protect American innocence.
Attacks on voting rights and immigration
Glaude connects the 250th anniversary to the gutting of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, both of which fundamentally changed the nation. He says the current moment is a “wholesale attack” on the vision of a multiracial democracy. “What we’re experiencing in this moment is a wholesale attack on that vision of the country,” he states.
Choosing between a white republic and a beacon of freedom
Glaude calls for Americans to make a choice: “Either we’re going to be a white republic, or we’re going to be a beacon of freedom. We can’t be both.” He argues that this requires a “tragic sense” to acknowledge both horrors and joys. He expresses faith that people can change, but warns that the country is on a precipice. “We’re witnessing the end of the America that made our lives possible,” he says, adding that it will take generations to recover from the damage wrought by Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. However, he notes that “midnight is the beginning of a new day,” offering an opportunity to build a new country in the aftermath.
