The 4th of July was different for the Americans this year.
The 4th of July marks United States of America’s independence from Britain since 1776. For millions of Americans, celebrating 4 July comes with certain rituals and traditions.
By Pamela Munyoro
This day is well associated with parades, public fireworks displays and large family reunions as they celebrate their freedom in style.
This time around, the celebrations were a bit different due to the COVID-19.
Cities around the US cancelled their annual parades as cases of coronavirus continue to rise.
The National Independence Day Parade in Washington DC was the highest-profile casualty.
No one was certain enough to promise the citizens would be safe from the spreading of the virus.
Fireworks displays are synonymous with Independence Day. This time, no one was allowed to gather around like before as people had to maintain the social distancing.
Some organizers came up with ingenious ways to ensure they can still go ahead without crowds gathering to watch, like streaming online and watching television.
So it wasn’t bad after all.
While some events organizers are finding innovative ways to keep things on track but a lot of public spaces were closed.
Bars and restaurants were shut in many states, as officials continue to pull back on plans to reopen after the recent spike in coronavirus cases.
Beaches in states such as Florida and California, which would normally be packed with holidaymakers, were closed to the public.
Beyond the pandemic, the US has also been rocked by another major news event this year.
The death of African American George Floyd in police custody in May triggered nationwide protests and led to renewed demands for an end to institutional racism. Many of these protests targeted statues of controversial historical figures.
So, President Donald Trump’s administration placed rapid deployment teams in place to guard federal monuments around the country ahead of the long weekend.
Some feel that, freedom for the black people in the US has always been tenuous and contentious, never separate from the realization that our white neighbors might turn against us, as they did in Tulsa, Rosewood, Boston and East Saint Louis.
Kellie Carter Jackson says, “The only thing different about this year is that for the first time l have seen more Black Lives Matter signs than flags,”
This gives a vivid picture as to how the American citizens celebrate their independence as the white people have their own reasons whilst the African American have their own.
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