By Kenneth Hardin

Last week, as the country reveled in all things celebratory for this nation’s independence, I sat in quiet reflection. I ruminated on that day wondering what it means to people whose ancestors were brought here underneath the ships and not on the top with a beautiful view.

What the spinning wheel in my mind landed on was the speech Abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered on July 5, 1852. He addressed a New York audience on the 76th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

I’m feeling similarly as he did 171 years ago after that speech where he reminded the attendees of the barbaric and inhumane enslavement of Africans. The topic of his speech asked the question, “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” He felt like the day was not one of triumph, achievement, independence, or self-reliance. Instead, he defined it as a reminder to skinfolk of the atrocities of slavery.

“What to the American slave is your 4th of July? I answer, a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty of which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants brass-fronted impudence; your shout of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgiving’s, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy…You may rejoice, I must mourn.”

I’m proud to be an American. I was proud enough to raise my hand and defend it with my life, unlike the false patriots who boast about freedom and liberty but have done nothing to show they believe in it.

There’s no such thing as “I should’ve joined, I almost joined, I thought about joining” or any of the other myriad of excuses these cowards shower us with while standing under their symbols of hate.

As my mind continued to spin, I thought of how people, who look like me, were not considered full human beings or even a consideration when the founding fathers wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” Maybe they had their fingers crossed and signed it with a wink, wink, nod, and a smirk on their faces.

With the recent court ruling that struck down Affirmative Action, it makes it even more of a farcical moment in history.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who leads the morally corrupt and ethically compromised Supreme Court, said in his ridiculous defense of the ruling that he didn’t want race to matter. Well partner, I have to let you in on a little secret, race does matter, but it’s only the darker skin people who are still being victimized by it.

It’s interesting that this ruling came so easily while skinfolk are still waiting on voting, anti-lynching, police abuse, and anti-hate legislation.

So, I ask the Chief Justice, why does this take precedence over all others? I would also ask if Affirmative Action was the bane of existence and fairness in academia, what about legacy admissions, nepo children and the offspring of those who write fat checks to the institution?

I find it interesting that the ruling didn’t apply to military schools. What that says is, we’ll allow you to get an education to die for this country, but not one to become a leader in a professional field. It shows how little Black lives do matter.

I question whether it’s truly about race in the admissions process. I’m certain the students of color, that have benefited from Affirmative Action, possessed the qualifications to be there.

It’s really about questioning their intelligence and abilities and denying opportunities. I spent two decades working in corporate healthcare and was on the receiving end of this sword. At a Charlotte area hospital, I turned around a large department that was severely under-performing operationally and financially.

After a year, when it was time to name a director, I was passed over for a tall blond in a short skirt, who they then asked me to train. I promptly quit and walked out.

At another area hospital, I was responsible for data, statistics and identifying trends. I provided expert level qualitative and quantitative analysis to improve performance. A white VP, whose area was miserably under-performing, questioned my intellect and had a statistics professor from Davidson College come and audit all my work. After several hours, he said he wasn’t sure why he was asked to do it, and that everything was perfect.

I have more examples I could share, but there’s no need for that kind of affirmative action. Besides, denying racism exists is the new racism.

Kenneth L. (Kenny) Hardin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists.