On Dec. 19, 2016, my younger brother and I arrived at Boston Logan International Airport with two small suitcases and a lifetime of hope. A caseworker welcomed us with a hamburger, my first American meal.
A few minutes later, I stepped into the snow for the first time. I still remember the cold on my face before someone told me to put on a warmer jacket. It was a small moment, but I have never forgotten it. That day, I was not simply arriving in a new country. I was beginning a new chapter of my life. I believed America was a place where dreams could grow, where hard work mattered, and where ordinary people could build a better future.
Nearly ten years later, through every challenge and every opportunity, that belief still guides me.
As our nation celebrates the Fourth of July and looks toward the 250th anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence, this day should be about more than fireworks and parades. It
should be a moment to pause, reflect, and ask ourselves whether we are living up to the promises that have defined America from the very beginning. Patriotism is not measured by how loudly we celebrate our country. It is measured by how faithfully we work to make it stronger, fairer, and more united.
When the Declaration of Independence was adopted in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, it
proclaimed that “all men are created equal” and are endowed with the unalienable rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those words changed history, but they did not
immediately change the lives of everyone. Millions remained enslaved. Women were denied equal rights. Native Americans were forced from their lands. Many immigrants struggled to find acceptance. America’s story has never been one of perfection. It has always been a story of people working to close the gap between our ideals and our reality.
Few people understood that better than Frederick Douglass. On July 5, 1852, speaking in
Rochester, New York, he delivered one of the greatest speeches in American history, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? He challenged the nation to face the painful contradiction between celebrating liberty while millions remained in chains. Yet even in his criticism, Douglass believed America could become better if it had the courage to confront the truth.
More than a century later, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. carried that same hope. During the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963, standing before the Lincoln Memorial, he reminded America that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” He believed democracy depends not on perfect people but on ordinary citizens who choose love over hatred, truth over fear, and hope over despair.
President Barack Obama often returned to this same idea. Throughout his presidency, he
reminded Americans that our diversity is one of our greatest strengths and that democracy
succeeds only when ordinary people stay engaged and believe they can make a difference. As America continues writing the next chapter of its history, that message is as important today as ever. The future of our democracy will not be decided by one election or one political party. It will be shaped by millions of Americans who choose integrity over division, service over self- interest, and truth over misinformation.
Today, many Americans feel uncertain. Political disagreements have grown sharper. Trust in public institutions has weakened. Conversations about race, immigration, and identity too often create more division than understanding. Yet history reminds us that America has faced difficult moments before. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, from the Great Depression to the attacks of Sept. 11, our nation has repeatedly shown that its greatest strength is not the absence of hardship but the willingness of its people to face hardship together.
As a former refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I have experienced both the generosity and the challenges of America. This country gave me safety, an education, and the opportunity to serve my community. Through volunteer work, youth leadership, and civic engagement, I have met people from every background who care deeply about making their neighborhoods stronger. They remind me that America is not built only in Washington. It is built every day by teachers who inspire students, neighbors who welcome newcomers, first responders who protect our communities, volunteers who serve quietly, and ordinary citizens who choose kindness over indifference.
The Fourth of July reminds us that freedom has never been free, and it has never been finished. Abraham Lincoln called America “the last best hope of earth.” That hope lives on only if every generation protects our democracy, respects the dignity of every person, and understands that disagreement should never become hatred. Our differences should strengthen our democracy, not weaken it.
As fireworks light the sky this Independence Day, I will remember my first steps in the snow outside Logan Airport nearly ten years ago. I will remember that America welcomed a young refugee with hope instead of fear. That memory reminds me that the American Dream is still alive, not because it is guaranteed, but because every generation has the chance and the responsibility to renew it.
The Fourth of July is not a celebration of a perfect nation. It is a celebration of a nation that keeps striving to become better. May we choose courage over division, service over indifference, truth over fear, and hope over despair.
Fisto Ndayishimiye is a refugee, community organizer and youth leader based in Concord. He is the co-founder and executive director of the Young Adults Development Network, founder and director of Importance Leadership, and founder of One Concord. He is a former Concord At-Large City Council candidate.