As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, a debate has emerged regarding the definition of patriotism, contrasting the ideals of civic engagement and equality with displays of nationalistic fervor. President Donald Trump's planned July 4 celebration on the National Mall, described by the White House as "one of the grandest displays of patriotism that the world has ever seen," stands at the center of this discussion.
Historically, American patriotism has been intertwined with efforts to realize the nation's founding promise of equality. This pursuit has been championed by various movements, including abolitionism, the suffragist movement, the labor movement, and the civil rights movement. These groups, in their struggles for rights and recognition, often invoked the Declaration of Independence's assertion that "all men are created equal."
One prominent example cited is the life of Viola Liuzzo, a civil rights activist from Detroit who volunteered for the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. Liuzzo provided transportation and support for marchers and was killed by Ku Klux Klansmen on her drive back to Selma. Her husband, Anthony Liuzzo, described her death as a sacrifice for "the rights of humanity" and the fulfillment of the promise that "all men are created equal."
Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. are among the historical figures who have referenced the Declaration's preamble as a cornerstone of American identity and a call to action for greater equality. Lincoln, in his Gettysburg Address, reaffirmed the nation's dedication to the proposition that "all men are created equal."
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
The Declaration's ideals also served as a foundation for the suffragist movement, which declared "all men and women are created equal," and the labor movement, which protested economic inequality as a perversion of political liberty.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously called the Declaration a "promissory note" to which African Americans had not yet received full payment, stating, "we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt."
This tradition of critical patriotism, where love of country is expressed through the insistence on its ideals, is contrasted with a vision that critics argue is exclusionary and nationalistic. This viewpoint, seen in rhetoric that labels political opponents as "the enemy within" or immigrants as "vermin," prioritizes adherence to a particular leader over the pursuit of universal principles.
Historical precedents for this exclusionary view include arguments made by figures like John C. Calhoun, who viewed the Declaration's promise of equality as a dangerous error, and the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision, which denied rights to Black Americans. Modern manifestations include concerns about the ending of affirmative action and the rollback of the Voting Rights Act, alongside initiatives against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
![Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., gestures during his