“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The time has come for the United States to unite under the belief that all people are created equal and until that happens, we must fight the war against America’s pervasive racism. We must stop seeing white men in our mind’s eye when we hear or read the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. We must bring these words into the 21st century and create a new mind’s eye image of who speaks that sentence. Stop seeing those old white slave-owning men and see the man, woman or child who sits across from you, stands in line ahead of you, drives the car beside you, crosses the street with you… imagine those people stopping what they are doing, turning to you and saying “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all PEOPLE are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” And listen to them!
Today, let us all declare our independence from inherent racism and pledge to fight the war against it. Do not sit idly by and hope someone else will fight it for you. Use your voice as your weapon and your salve.