Every 4th of July is a chance to revisit the Frederick Douglas speech, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” But this year, with everything that is happening in our names, in celebration of our 250 year old country, in mourning for rights, dreams, and victims, it seemed particularly apt to evaluate what a celebration of our founding would mean to the groups who we continue to try to cast aside and leave outside of our national story.

During May 2026 in West Orange, town employees were instructed to powerwash the rainbow flag off the Town Hall steps. The belated, nonsensical explanation referenced America 250, stating the steps needed to be fixed for the Memorial Day celebration as part of the 250th Anniversary events. Sure, repairing masonry might require a thorough cleaning first; however, it was clear the town had no plan to put it back after the repairs. The unwritten part of the explanation was that someone (the Mayor, the Memorial Day planners, bigots?) didn’t want to see a rainbow flag in their America 250 Memorial Day photos.

​The West Orange Administration tried to erase our LGBTQIA+ neighbors, not with a bang, but with a high-powered mist. One could envision an ironic rainbow forming as the sunlight hit the spray. They did so without any plan for what would come next—without any emotional intelligence or foresight, their actions would immediately cause pain and engender a backlash.

Leadership would mean acknowledging that they hadn’t thought something through, agreeing to undo their mistake, and seeking dialogue with the affected population and accountability from voters in the next election. Instead, they went into crisis mode, fumbling around for vague, noncommittal language that would make those upset with the decision feel heard, perhaps, while also allowing those who support bigotry and hate to feel affirmed.

Read the whole piece in Public Square