The Fourth Of July Audre Lorde Summary

Fourth of July is a holiday celebrated by many but is it really a celebration for all? “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde is about a trip her family had taken to Washington, D.C. to celebrate her sister and her graduation. Soon the trip turns into disappointment as she realizes the harsh truth of racism and humiliation. What her parents have been avoiding by not telling her the whole truth she learns during her week in Washington, D.C. Learning these things all at once makes her question why her parents decided to hide it from her instead of telling her how things were. The Declaration of Independence is supposed to grant rights to American citizens and break free from those who want to control but in this case it doesn't apply to her family because of their skin color. So is there much different after all ? At the beginning of this trip she has no idea of what's going on. “As usual, whatever my mother did not like and could not change, she ignored.” (240). She still had her innocence as her mother explained to her making up excuses why they weren't going to go to the dining car to eat. Referring back to this moment in her life she then realizes it wasn't because it cost money or didn't know whose hands had been playing all over that food but because
She can see why her parents held the whole truth from her for so long, because the real world is cruel. Her few moments in Washington D.C. made her change her views on many topics. That the Declaration of Independence has no standing if the skin of your ancestry and your family is black, and only applies to those of white background and white skintone. As the voice of African Americans were silenced and oppressed, Lorde began to voice her opinion on this corrupt holiday through her diary and her father's