This event is being organized by a coalition of lesbian and queer activists plus filmmakers and historians who want to honor Black and Indigenous activists. July 4th is full of contradictions that distort the meaning of freedom, liberation, justice and humanity. We want to give those involved in organizing and participating in marches for the past several weeks, months, and years, a venue for community where they can just show up.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that there would be no America without stolen land and stolen people.
That this fight for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness didn’t start with the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, but it began when the first ships invaded these shores.
That we can no longer celebrate our country without reckoning with our past and present. That this country is founded on the genocide of indigenous nations, the theft of their land, and the enslavement of African peoples.
That the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness brand that America markets is a dangerous myth as we continue to oppress, dehumanize, and murder. That unless we all commit to fight for the lives and rights of black, brown, indigenous, and other marginalized peoples, we will all continue to suffer the violence of systemic racism and white supremacy.
That is why this 4th of July we refuse to celebrate the whitewashing of this country. Instead, we will joyously and actively celebrate and honor the ancestors and activists who have fought and continue to fight tirelessly for the lives and rights of the people.
Join us on July 4th.
The Coalition to Honor Black and Indigenous Activists is a group of mostly LGBTQ activists who have worked together for decades and film professionals who know how to get things done.
A March to Honor Black and Indigenous Activists 