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On the Fourth of July, I came to a simple realization: I had never doubted my freedom as an American. I had always assumed that I was just as free as any other American, regardless of the color of my skin.
This may not seem like a big deal, but when I look back on my life, I see all the negative forces that tried to make me doubt who I was as an American. Some tried to plant a seed in my head that I should always be angry at the America that enslaved and segregated my ancestors.
When I was younger, some people told me I was foolish for trying to live in a white America where freedom was just for white people. Even over the last 12 years, from Trayvon Martin to George Floyd, I have been told that America is a systemically racist country run by white supremacists who never see me as simply a black person.
Professor Katherine Lee Bates, the American author of “America the Beautiful,” prays for unity
I never got into that and that is what I am most grateful for on the 4th of July.
On July 4, 2023, fireworks will be displayed at the Empire State Building in New York City to celebrate Independence Day. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
My firm belief in America, its ideals and its promise didn’t begin in Chicago, where I pastored in one of the toughest neighborhoods in America. I grew up in Indiana with my mother, and every Fourth of July we would travel south to a little town called Kenton, Tennessee, with about 1,000 people, including my grandfather.
What I loved most about these visits was that he made sure we celebrated Independence Day in a big way with family and friends. There were people everywhere and it was a very welcoming and loving community. We kids would sometimes go looking for Kenton’s famous white squirrels. There was food everywhere and I was never hungry. At night we all got together to watch the most amazing fireworks over the trees and town.
But what I remember most is how he would wake up in the morning and talk about how great America was. He had lived through segregation for most of his life and it was natural for him to be bitter about it, but he loved America, and the way he talked about it was infectious.
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My dad looked me in the eye and asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. He told me I could be anything I wanted, there were no limitations. But he told me over and over again that I had to work hard to get there. Nothing is free in America, but you do have the freedom to work hard for what you want to be.
He walked the talk like few others. He only had a fourth-grade education, but he worked every day of his life. He worked lawn care and proudly pointed to the perfectly manicured lawns he maintained as we drove around town. He also bred the finest bloodhounds in the South. He was a man who just worked, and you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t work.
My grandfather raised four boys and four girls, including my mother. He always provided for his family and never lacked. He gave each of them the best chance to make it in America.
One thing I noticed growing up was how much people in our small town respected my grandfather, Black and White. They all called him Mr. RB. It made me proud to stand next to him.
But what I remember most is how he would wake up in the morning and talk about how great America was. He had lived through segregation for most of his life and it was natural for him to be bitter about it, but he loved America, and the way he talked about it was infectious.
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Although my grandfather and mother are no longer with us, I always remember their pride and love for America. Every day, I preach the virtues of America in my community and ask young people what they want to be when they grow up and what the American Dream is, just as my grandfather once did for me.
It’s true that America and the dream are just an idea. America is so fragile and susceptible to evil, especially in my neighborhood. That’s why I see it as my duty to keep the spirit of America alive in the streets every day to honor my grandfather. That’s why I proudly celebrate the 4th of July and the greatest country that ever lived.
To read more comments from Pastor Corey Brooks, click here
