I may do nothing else "meaningful" on observances such as today. (Cleaning the grill in preparation for the mister cooking kabobs does not count.) But I at least like to try to re-read original documents. This is a good site for the Declaration of Independence. (You can even sign your name to the document!)
...We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Of course, as eloquent and symbolic as it may be, this document did not have a whole lot of meaning for any ancestors of mine who may have been hanging around the embryonic US at the time. That meaning would come later, with the Emancipation Proclamation. It is truly important to read this document, to recognize just what it did and did not do. For example, it did not apply to all of the states where people of African descent were enslaved. Also, interesting is how some mention was directed at us Black folks, telling us to be nice and work hard now that we were free:
...And I hereby enjoin upon the people so declared to be free to abstain from all violence, unless in necessary self-defence; and I recommend to them that, in all cases when allowed, they labor faithfully for reasonable wages...
But the point of both documents to me is in the ideals and possibility they represent. They are less "artifact" and more "to do list." The train of abuses is, indeed, long. And it hasn't yet stopped on its tracks. That's the work we have ahead of us--No matter who is sitting on the Supreme Court or in the Oval Office.
So. Happy Independence Day.
And a belated (appropriate!) Happy Juneteenth.