Because Liberty Isn't Just a Long Weekend
The 4th of July is more than a celebration of independence, it is a reminder of what it takes to stay free. While fireworks and parades can be joyful markers of the day, the true spirit of this holiday lives in civic action, compassion, and accountability. In a time of political uncertainty, social division, and environmental urgency, perhaps the best way to honor our freedom is to take responsibility for protecting it. What does freedom mean today, and how do we keep it alive for everyone, not just a privileged few? Independence Day should be a time not just of national pride, but of national reckoning. Are we living up to the ideal son which this country was founded? Are we ensuring liberty and justice for all, as the Constitution promises?
Here are a few ways to celebrate the 4th of July that don’t include fireworks and hot dogs:
Engage Civically
One of the most powerful ways to honor the spirit of the 4th of July is through civic engagement. Independence was never meant to be a passive state, it requires active participation from every generation. Civic engagement is the engine of democracy, and it goes far beyond election day. It means staying informed about the issues that affect your community and country, and using your voice to shape the direction of both. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, student, or lifelong learner, commit to educating yourself and others about how democracy works. This includes understanding the Constitution, learning about civil rights movements, and recognizing the barriers that have kept many from fully participating in the democratic process. This 4th of July, honor the legacy of independence not just by celebrating what we’ve inherited, but investing in what we can still build together. Democracy thrives when people participate.
What you can do: Register to vote, attend a town hall, write/call your representatives, run for office, volunteer to help someone running, join a protest, or help a neighbor do the same.
Practice Compassion
Freedom without compassion is hollow. While the 4th of July is a celebration of national independence, it’s also an invitation to reflect on our interdependence - the truth that none of us is truly free unless all of us are. Compassion is what connects the lofty ideals of liberty and justice to real lives, real struggles, and real people. In a nation founded on the idea that all are created equal, living out that belief means caring for one another, especially those who have historically been left behind. Practicing compassion starts with awareness. It means noticing who is hurting, who is excluded, and who is being denied the same freedoms we celebrate. Freedom isn’t just about what you’re free to do, it’s also about how you use that freedom to serve others. Whether it's helping your neighbor, volunteering your time, or donating to causes that align with your values, acts of service strengthen the fabric of our society. Speak out against injustice, racism, xenophobia, and other forms of oppression that undermine the values the 4th of July is supposed to represent. Because liberty without love is incomplete. And justice without compassion is unjust.
What you can do: Volunteer at a local shelter or support causes that work to expand rights and resources to marginalized communities. National Domestic Workers Alliance, The Trevor Project, United We Dream
Hold Leaders Accountable
The American Revolution wasn’t just a break from a king, it was a declaration that power should come from the people. If the 4th of July is a celebration of self-governance, then one of the most patriotic acts we can take is to hold our leaders accountable to the promises of democracy. Accountability is what keeps the government of the people, by the people, and for the people alive. Elected officials work for the public, which is the foundation of representative democracy. But when leaders act in ways that serve private interests, ignore public needs, or violate constitutional principles, it’s up to everyday citizens to call them out. From voter suppression laws to discriminatory policies, some actions by elected leaders can directly contradict the values the 4th of July represents. Accountability means calling out injustice even when it's systematic. Holding leaders accountable isn’t anti-American, it’s one of the most American things you can do. Because the fight for freedom didn’t end in 1776. It continues every time we stand up, speak out, and demand better.
What you can do: Speak out against unjust laws or policies, support reform efforts, refuse to normalize unethical behavior. Some educational websites include: American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Reflect on History
Too often, national holidays reduce history to symbols and slogans. Yet real patriotism requires us to look beyond myth and into the messy complex, and sometimes painful truths of our past. The 4th of July marks a defining moment in American history, the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, a bold stand for liberty and self-determination, but honoring that history means engaging with all of it. Reviewing history means making room for the full range of American identities. Read, watch, and listen to stories from Indigenous, Black, immigrant, LGBTQ+, and other communities whose histories are often overlooked. Support truth telling efforts, like public history projects, reparative justice initiatives, and community-based storytelling. By understanding where we’ve come from, fully and truthfully, we become better equipped to protect what’s worth preserving, change what’s unjust, and ensure that the promise of independence is not limited to the few, but extended to all. History is not just about what we celebrate, it's about what we choose to learn from, and what we choose to do next.
What you can do: Acknowledge the legacy of slavery, colonization, and systematic racism that shaped - and still shapes - American life through reading and research, learn about resistance movements, look into the roots of current issues. Books to look out for: "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" by Michelle Alexander, "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson
Sustain the Planet
The 4th of July is often celebrated outdoors - in parks, backyards, on beaches, and open fields. But what does it mean to celebrate a country’s freedom while the environment that sustains it is under threat? Clean air, safe water, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate are the foundations upon which all other rights rest. Just as democracy depends on civic participation, environmental stewardship depends on personal and collective responsibility. Individual action is important, but systematic change is essential. Just as we hold political leaders accountable on issues of justice and equity, we must also demand action on environmental protection. Support climate policy at local, state, and federal levels. Push for clean energy investments, conservation efforts, and emissions reductions. So as you gather this Independence Day, remember the freedom we celebrate includes the freedom to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and live on a thriving planet. There is no liberty on a dying planet. Sustaining freedom means sustaining the world that makes it possible.
What you can do: Reduce waste by using reusable or compostable plates and utensils, avoid using your own fireworks, and support local, sustainable, or vegan foods.
This Independence Day, let's remember that the 4th of July is not just a celebration of the past, it’s a commitment to the future. It honors a moment in history when people dared to believe in self-governance, equality, and the right to chart their own destiny. True patriotism is not passive. Freedom is not guaranteed. It is protected through participation, expanded through empathy, and preserved through responsibility. So this 4th of July, let’s celebrate, but also recommit. Because liberty isn’t a long weekend. It's a lifelong promise, and it’s up to all of us to keep it.
