1776
What Does 1776 Mean to You?
Does it speak of freedom—
the year the United States was born,
its birth certificate
penned by none other
than Thomas Jefferson?
He wrote of liberty,
of unalienable rights,
that all are created equal,
yet kept others in chains,
refusing to see
the humanity
of his enslaved brothers and sisters,
while building a nation
upon their labor.
How can a man proclaim
that all are created equal,
yet deny that truth
to those he enslaves?
How can he claim liberty
while taking away another's?
How can he exploit their women,
then deny the children
born of those unions—
his own flesh and blood—
while declaring freedom
the birthright of all?
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