Liberation on the 4th of July


Liberation doesn’t look the same everywhere, or to everyone, but its heartbeat? The feeling of relief and fresh air that comes with it? That’s universal.
The 4th of July (I'm sure the way that I said it allows you guess exactly what comes next, but I promise, there’s a bit of a surprise information for most of you, just hang on), is a date that most of the world recognizes as the United States’ Independence Day – the day the thirteen colonies declared freedom from British rule in 1776. Yet, another equally significant liberation happened on the same date, 218 years later, in a totally different part of the world: Rwanda.

On July 4th, 1994, after 100 harrowing days of genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took control of its capital, Kigali, effectively ending one of the most horrific massacres in modern history. Over 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were murdered. The Rwandan Liberation Day, otherwise known as Kwibohora, marks the end of that nightmare and the beginning of Rwanda’s path toward unity, rebuilding, and healing (surpriseeeeeee – didn't know that, did ya?).

In a 2022 interview, Beata Umubyeyi Mairesse, a survivor of the genocide, described July 4th as resurrection day. For many Rwandans, Kwibohora is not just a public holiday, it's more personal, because quite a number of these folks experienced the genocide, literally. Despite the heavy trauma that accompanies cowering in fear and struggling for survival in your own home, the holiday is still perceived as a reclaiming of humanity, safety, and dignity.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the 4th of July is a holiday filled with fireworks, cookouts, and waving flags. It's about independence, sure, but it's also about ideals of freedom, self-governance, and revolution. Two vastly different histories with one shared value: the right to be free.
The freedom sought in Rwanda was one that had to be snatched back through resistance, not negotiation. It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t celebratory. It was survival. Today, despite it's past struggles, Rwanda is seen to be one of Africa’s fastest-recovering and most forward-facing nations (inserts motivational quote… runs away)
Okay, okay, let's not get distracted today.

Anywhooooo, while Americans light up the sky this week, let’s also light a candle in memory, and celebration, of Rwanda’s rebirth.
So, even though it's like three days late already, we're wishing a Happy Independence Day to the United States, and a Happy Liberation Day to Rwanda.
Freedom doesn't wear one flag, it wears many. (Coat of many colors, innit? I should stop. Okay, bye!).✨

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