(BALTIMORE – July 4, 2025) – There’s a young African American brother who lives about half a block away. Around this time of year, he likes to set off fireworks — and I mean serious fireworks. The last one shook our homes like a low-grade earthquake.
Now, I’m not trying to single him out. Truth is, around this time every year, many of us light up the skies. I don’t know what fireworks cost, but I imagine folks spend a decent amount. And in Baltimore City, this tradition isn’t limited to the 4th of July — it kicks off about a month before and can stretch well into August. Sometimes, you’ll even hear random pops in the middle of winter.
I get it. It’s fun — at least at first. But I’m older now. I’ve grown to appreciate silence. I’ve grown to love peace — yes, even right here in Sandtown. Contrary to popular belief, Sandtown is usually quiet. It’s often the outside, transient crowd that brings the noise, trash, and drama. In fact, I’ll say this without hesitation: the people who live in Sandtown are some of the cleanest, most respectful folks in Baltimore. I’ve seen outsiders roll down their windows and throw trash out like it’s nothing — women included.
All that said, I just want to offer a different lens on celebration. If you’re Black and looking for a day of true independence — one that speaks directly to us — consider this: in 1776, when America was declaring its freedom, Black folks were still enslaved. So maybe the 4th of July doesn’t hit the same.
Instead, think about the Haitian Revolution — the only successful overthrow of slavery in the Western Hemisphere. From 1791 to 1804, our Haitian brothers and sisters didn’t ask for freedom. They took it. And they did it under the nose of Napoleon. That’s why everything you hear about Haiti is negative — because colonizers don’t want you to know they took an L. A big one.
Haiti showed us the power of Black resistance. And while we love Jamaican reggae, let’s not forget that every island has its revolutionary heroes — like Nanny the Maroon Queen. If you want to take it further, grab a copy of my third book, I Am Black Wall Street (fourth one’s on the way). I dive deep into the maroon colonies and self-sustaining Black communities across the Diaspora — examples of what we’ve always been capable of: resilience, brilliance, and independence, even when forced to survive out in the bush.
So if you must pop fireworks, do it with purpose. Light them in honor of Toussaint L’Ouverture. Spark them off in memory of Baltimore’s own George W.F. McMechen, Esquire — the brother who, in 1910, challenged Mayor J. Barry Mahool’s segregation ordinance and won. Let that boom mean something. Let it echo culture, not just chaos.
The Haitian Revolution posed a radical question to the world: What happens when people of color demand that the promises of freedom apply to them too? That moment changed history. Small island, major impact.
So this year, let your celebration reflect not just freedom — but our freedom. Do it for the ancestors. “Do it for the culture.”
