The burgers are sizzling on the grill and your beverage and cocktails are flowing. As you spend time with family and friends, you need tunes to keep the party going through Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks presentation. Here are four songs for the Fourth of July to play on the day that recognizes the nation’s independence, reminding us all of the struggles and sacrifice African Americans have made—and still make—to ensure that all enjoy these liberties.
“Celebration” by Kool & The Gang
Kool and the Gang’s 1980 hit “Celebration” is the ultimate party hit with infectious lyrics: “There’s a party goin’ on right here / A dedication to last throughout the years / So bring your good times and your laughter too / We gonna celebrate and party with you.” It will have you and your compadres grooving to the beat.
“Independent Women, Pt.” 1 by Destiny’s Child
Part of the soundtrack to the 2000 film adaption of Charlie’s Angels, this song is an anthem for female independence and empowerment. It’s a testament to how women have fought to secure their rights and can throw up their hands to celebrate that achievement.
“This Is America” by Childish Gambino
Childish Gambino—a.k.a. Donald Glover—dropped “This Is America” in 2018 and had us all contorting our bodies for its inspired TikTok challenge. But we can never forget the song’s true meaning about the toll gun violence has had on America, especially in African American communities.
“Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” by James Brown
The Fourth of July has always been a conundrum of a holiday for Black Americans, as Rochester’s hometown hero Frederick Douglass declared in his famous “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech in 1852. But we remain proud of who we are and where we came from, which is aptly captured in Brown’s 1968 hit.
