This past week individuals celebrated the independence of the United States of America. Instagram and Snapchat was filled with photos and videos of people dressed up from head to toe in the colors of the American flag and 'cracking up a cold one with the boys' surrounded by families and friends. However, there was a clear division on Twitter, where many individuals, particularly marginalized individuals, took a stand against the holiday, myself included.

From what I can remember, I never really celebrated the Fourth of July. I've seen the fireworks lighting up the East River in my home of New York City once. I've attended very few barbecues, of course just for the food. As a kid, the holiday didn't really mean much to me or even my family. The day just meant that is was another excuse to get family together and have a cookout. The holiday didn't carry any significance to us. All I took from it was that it was just Independence Day.

However, fast forward a few years later and this is my second year of not celebrating it. By not celebrating, I mean knowing it's Independence Day but not being proud of the injustice this so-called 'holiday' continues to carry. I guess you can say, it's more of a 'screw you' attitude. Now, more than ever issues of injustice are now more visible to the eye to even try to deny that they don't exists. These issues have always been prevalent, even before the 21st century.

As people celebrate this day for the land of the 'free', I see it as another day for white, cis-gender males and females celebrating a country that's always been free specifically for them. On this day I remember the countless number of times people had and continue to fight for their lives and freedom within a country that is supposed to be land of the 'free'. I remember the millions of black and hispanic men that fall in the mass incarceration within the prison system for petty crimes. I remember the millions of black lives continuing to be killed and communities struggling to receive justice for these individuals that once lived. I remember the 2016 Presidential Election, 53 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. I remember the fact that some people continue to believe that racism doesn't exist anymore.

In no means am I saying that people should stop celebrating this 'holiday', I don't care what others do. However, I want to inform people who continue to celebrate on this day, to understand the true meaning behind what this country has always stood for and how it hasn't change. Even now, with what's going on within the world, it's impossible to hide from the fact that this country is truly the opposite of 'free'.