As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, many Black Americans are deliberately opting out of the celebrations. This quiet withdrawal is not apathy but a calculated response to a history of exclusion and exploitation. Morgan Jerkins, a senior writer at the Guardian US, explores this phenomenon in a recent opinion piece.
Historical Context of Black Disillusionment
The 250th anniversary arrives among Black communities as a whisper instead of a roar. Jerkins writes, 'We know freedom is different for us.' This sentiment is rooted in a history that predates the nation itself. In 1739, the Stono Revolt saw enslaved Black South Carolinians march under banners reading 'Liberty!'—the same word later used in the Declaration of Independence, yet slavery remained enshrined in the new nation.
Thomas Jefferson drafted a 168-word passage condemning slavery, but it was cut from the final Declaration. The Mansfield Judgment of 1772, which declared slavery 'odious,' actually solidified colonial opposition to British rule, as historian Gerald Horne argues that the American Revolution was partly to preserve slavery.
Modern Tactics of Withdrawal
In the digital age, Black Americans are communicating through silence. A viral illustration from early 2025 shows four Black women watching the world burn from a distance, coffee in hand, with an American flag hanging over the edge. Social media users on TikTok and Threads urge each other to 'not give them a reaction'—referring to white people who profit from Black rage.
Juju Bae, a Brooklyn-based spiritual practitioner, explained the power of withholding energy: 'Our energy is powerful. Animism – everything has a spirit, everything has an energy to it. These things that are meant to stir us, that is matter. You know, that is a force.'
Historical Continuity of Resistance
The Stono Revolt's legacy persists through music and dance. White colonists banned 'drums, horns and other loud instruments' to prevent coordination, but such sound technology has endured in the rebels' descendants. Jerkins highlights rallying cries from Mahalia Jackson, Nina Simone, the ring shout, Negro spirituals, Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and the Black Panther Party.
Today, the tactic is to say nothing at all. Leading publications have noted Black absences at anti-Trump protests, questioning whether a four-year break could shift culture. Jerkins states, 'Our energy is powerful… we know our power to participate as well as to withhold.'
Impact of the Anti-DEI Era
Black Americans face an anti-DEI world where many have abandoned them despite their labor being the backbone of the nation. Jerkins concludes, 'The fight from here on out looks much different because Black people will not carry water for anyone else any more. Instead, we’ll drink it ourselves.'
