The U.S. is marking its 250th anniversary with events all year long. But not everyone wants to celebrate.
As Kenneth Morris Jr. thinks about America’s birthday, he said he wants to be proud of his country.
The D.C. native is co-founder of the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives, a nonprofit working to combat modern slavery, including human trafficking.
Douglass, one of the foremost abolitionists of the 19th century, is Morris’ great, great, great grandfather. Author and educator Booker T. Washington is his great, great grandfather, he said.
“Because their blood flows through my veins, I will take the liberty to say that I think that Frederick Douglass would look at the nation and while there’s still a lot of work to do, we have made incremental progress — slow, incremental progress,” he said.
Some of that progress Morris mentioned includes the elections of former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I think that he would be pleased to see that we elected an African-American president, and most recently we had a female vice president of color,” Morris said. “I think that he would be pleased at that progress, but I also think that he would be outraged that there’s still so much work to be done.”
Morris said this monumental moment in American history is a time to reflect.
“Let’s think about how each and every one of us can use our talents, our creativity, our intellect, and do the work that’s important to us, with the passion that I know many of us have to want to make this country a better place and to bring us together,” Morris said.
He said that could include pushing politicians — at the local, state or federal levels — to enact policies that “benefit social justice and equality.”
“Whatever your talent is, use it to affect change in the world around us,” Morris said.
Morris said he doesn’t “feel any kind of way about how other people choose to celebrate” America’s 250th anniversary this year.
He, and the foundation that bears his ancestor’s name, will celebrate by educating others. That includes uplifting the work of Douglass’ wife Anna Murray Douglass, who Morris calls a radical freedom fighter in her own right.
The Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives has also partnered with the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
“They have an exhibit called ‘The Declaration’s Journey,’ and it’ll be running throughout 2026 in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the country,” Morris said. “And in that exhibit is a first edition printing of Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech. ”
That famous 1852 speech, “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?” forcefully reminded fellow abolitionists that Black people were not free July 4, 1776.
Morris feels hopeful about the future, saying the founders gave people “the promise of liberty, and each generation decides whether the promise lives or dies, and so we all have an obligation to make sure we’re carrying the torch forward.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
