Put In Shackles On Independence Day

(By Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson) Reflect on how your celebration resonates with my experience. Enclosed in this concrete cell, devoid of sight or sound, my existence is painfully solitary. How can I find honor in this day? Let’s revisit its origins: As your ancestors declared freedom, mine endured slavery. Despite the passage of centuries, our conditions remain stagnant. My dark skin is still bound—how peculiar is that? As you ignite fireworks and discharge firearms, I am reminded of my ancestors fleeing—escaping plantations, hunted by dogs, enduring rape, chains, and whips. Today, prison buses mirror the slave ships of the past—isolated from loved ones, forgotten, and left to deteriorate mentally. This history is often sanitized and neglected, concealing theft and brutality. A land of freedom? With a quarter of the globe’s incarcerated population resembling modern-day slavery? Your Fourth of July proclaiming liberty rings hollow for millions still shackled. Inspired by Frederick Douglass’s timeless oration from 1852. Send our brother some love and light: Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson, 397279, Perry Correctional Institution, 430 Oaklawn Rd., Pelzer SC 29669.