How You Can Defend American Democracy This Independence Day

One hundred and seventy years ago, abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave a famous speech entitled "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" He praised the resolve of the founding fathers in their fight for freedom and independence from the oppressive regime of England. But after detailing the experiences of enslaved Black people at that time, he names "the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed ... your celebration is a sham; ...your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery." 

I echo Douglass's sentiments today, remembering our country's dark history of white supremacy, from genocide to slavery, to Reconstruction, from Jim Crow to the ongoing voter suppression racial terrorism and economic injustices that subjugate many people of color today.

And yet I share Douglass' expression of hope as he ended his speech: "I do not despair of this country." I still hope for our country to live up to the better ideals of equality and justice for all. I want to work together to eliminate inequities and improve the quality of life for everyone -- no matter one's background, race, gender, or zip code.

As one of the world's oldest continuous democracies -- now 246 years old -- I am afraid we are seeing our legacy fall apart. We have seen how fragile and delicate our voting rights and democracy are and how easy they can be to lose. As we've seen in the news recently, there has been an ongoing extreme coordinated campaign to suppress votes and overturn the will of the people. 

However, in this moment, we are not backing down. We are in a critical time where we must defend our democracy, the right for every eligible voter to have their voice heard, cast a ballot without harassment or challenge, and be part of democratic promise that, “All…are created equal.” 

Looking to November, our allies in the movement to defend democracy are leading an Election Protection program. For years, thousands of trained, nonpartisan volunteers have served as voters’ first line of defense against confusing voting rules, outdated infrastructure, rampant misinformation, and needless obstacles to the ballot box. In this moment, our future ability to protect our friends and family against the climate crisis and accomplish so many other progressive values falls on our shoulders.

Will you consider being an Election Protection volunteer? There are several roles to play -- in person or from your home. Sign up here and coordinators will be in touch soon.

Protecting voting rights is a historic fight -- one that so many Americans, just like you, have undertaken for decades to help protect. Protecting the right to vote strengthens our collective fight for clean air, clean water, equality, and a safe climate. We can’t address the climate crisis without also fighting racism and the systems that perpetuate it. That's because racism is killing the planet we all share, sacrificing people and communities in the name of corporate greed.

This Independence Day, I'm reflecting on how tenuous such democratic values are -- the rights we’ve cherished and fought for are being taken away. Our country's highest values of equality and freedom are constantly being undermined by systemic inequalities, white supremacy, and economic injustices. We stand on the shoulders of so many who came before us, like Frederick Douglass, to call out the hypocrisy and help bring about a better and more free country for everyone.

It is only through strengthening our democracy, lowering the barriers to vote no matter your zip code, age, or race -- so that every voice counts -- that we will be reflecting the higher aspirations of the United States of America. 

Election Protection Volunteers can help defend such founding aspirations. Sign up to Protect the Vote in November.

Thank you for all your doing to defend democracy and our environment. It takes each of us doing our part.