Forgot Your Password?

New to The Nation? Subscribe

Print subscriber? Activate your online access

.nation-small__b{fill:#fff;}

“We Are the People”: Reflections on Reclamation Day and Finding Hope in the Darkness

Moments in time like the 250th anniversary, and the counter-celebrations to the president’s Fourth of July spectacles, come and go. But the work of liberation must not end.

I have 250th fatigue. Everywhere you look, there’s some recognition of this milestone anniversary of the nation’s founding. New York City buses and subway cars declare, “Happy 250th.” The Trump administration, diametrically opposing the values of liberty in pursuit of its misinterpretation of “freedom,” celebrates the president along with these foundational principles with cage matches and military jets, and soon-to-come, a world record-breaking fireworks show in Washington, DC. America’s most exorbitant Independence Day.

It’s absurd. But we know that already.

Counter-celebrations provide semblances of solace from these spectacles. Alternative events this year have included National Youth Day, which positioned the next generations as co-authors of the country’s future, and All of U.S. 250, a nationwide mobilization—co-led by the organizations Get Free, Next250 and 50501—and follow-up to the No Kings protests. Pick your poison. Or antidote.

In the lingering joy of Pride Month, Juneteenth, and even Prideteenth celebrations, I approached a long-awaited Reclamation Day, my commemoration of choice. Presented as a new national ritual and Reunion of Hope, the event was held in Brooklyn at 25 Kent Ave, which along with the rest of the city stands on the homelands of the Lenape people. As soon as you entered the space, you were greeted with the mission of the BLIS Collective (standing for Black Liberation, Indigenous Sovereignty) and Reclamation Day: The message of “telling a truer story of the nation’s semiquincentennial” was splayed across the floor-to-ceiling windows. Pamphlets from grassroots organizations and books from activist writers garnished each table. Artworks and installations honoring overlooked histories adorned the walls.

Among explanations of terms like “reparations,” “Land Back,” “Baby Bonds,” and “Guaranteed Income” were questions that struck at the heart of these movements. “Did you know Wall Street was originally a primary market for trading enslaved Black people?” one question asked. “50% of New Yorkers didn’t either.” Another stated that “half of New Yorkers are unaware of local reparations efforts” and asked, “How can you spread the word?”

In their opening remarks, BLIS’s cofounders, Savannah Romero and Trevor Smith, explained that these questions are at the root of the injustices Black and Indigenous communities are experiencing every day.........

© The Nation