Whose Freedom Is It Anyway?

I’ve always felt conflicted about Independence Day.
But this year, July 4, 2025, the irony feels heavier than usual.

We gather. We pop fireworks. We grill, we laugh, we post.

And yet, beneath the camaraderie, I keep asking the same question:
Whose freedom is it anyway?

The truth is, freedom has never looked the same for everyone in this country. While the rituals of the 4th continue, the reality for many of us remains unchanged.

The Ironies of Independence

We light fireworks in the name of freedom while veterans who fought for that freedom relive trauma in silence.

Black Americans (who were not free on July 4, 1776) gather with loved ones to celebrate a history that didn’t include us. Immigrant families, many of whom helped build this country, are still being told they do not belong here.

We are told the colors of the flag stand for valor, purity, and justice.
But I cannot help but wonder:

• Is it valor when communities are overlooked, their needs and voices left out of the decisions that shape our shared future?
• Is it purity when the act of belonging, of being seen, included, and welcomed, is still denied to so many?
• Is it justice when access and opportunity remain out of reach for those on the margins?

Imagine if freedom did not just look like explosive displays in the sky but like dignity, safety, and equality on the ground.

A Different Kind of Reflection

I am not here to tell people how to celebrate or whether they should celebrate at all.

But I do believe this is a moment to pause and ask:
Who is included in the freedom we are celebrating?

In the design world, and beyond, opportunity and equality mean not just being invited into the room, but being part of the process that reimagines the room itself. 

Fireworks fade.Barbecues end.But the work of making freedom real for everyone is far from over.