FREEDOM’S JOURNEY HOW WILL yOU INVEST IN yOUR OWN LIBERT y ?

Welcome to July, the heart of summer and the 247th birthday of America. This Fourth of July will be sung in the usual red, white, and blue paeans of patriotism and pride. And there will be countless name-checks to the Declaration of Independence and our constitutional rights. Neighborhoods across the city will revel in the celebratory spirit of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

We, the UpLift Chronicles team, want to celebrate, too. And freedom should be euphoric; it should be fireworks and elote, gleaming lowriders and ice-cold swimming pools. We love how we feel when the grill’s going and family and friends are laughing.

But people also celebrate in wartime and that’s what we’re doing. We don’t stop questioning society’s status quo. We keep publishing editions, sharing stories, and posing questions to you, our dear readers, one article at a time. Because patriotism is one thing, but a frightening nationalism is on the rise. The freedoms so many tout, including freedom of speech and assembly, are under attack as books are banned. And our ability to be represented via the power of our vote is being chiseled away. Even if these concerns haven’t landed right on your doorstep in this city and state yet, repressive legislation in states all around us will soon bring these sociopolitical crises closer to home.

So, in this issue, for this Independence Day, we cover matters through the lens of the concept of freedom: voting, guns, education, mental healthcare, and digital inclusion. These are some of the issues and arguments of the day which can’t be ignored. They won’t go away if we pretend they’re not there. And look, we get it. You want to come home, kick off your shoes, care for your kids, and get some downtime over the summer. We’re not saying you need to do the job we signed up for. But we ask you to ask yourself, What can you do? Does civic duty resonate for you? What does freedom really mean?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the issues we face and how our paper can better serve you. Please take our first-ever Readers’ Survey below and let us know what’s up!

“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”

by Frederick Douglass

WHAT’S INSIDE

COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY 2

WHO’S REPPIN’ YOU? 3

STANDING AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE 4

“We Need to Begin Again”

by Eddie Glaude

Readers’ Survey

SUMMERTIME