National Public Radio denounced the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July, citing terms and phrases it deemed offensive and hypocritical.
The story: NPR published an article on July 4, noting that its “Morning Edition” has a tradition of broadcasting a reading of the Declaration of Independence but that “after last summer’s protests and our national reckoning on race, the words in the document land differently.”
The story continues to poke holes in the document, accusing it of hypocrisy and claiming it contains a racial slur.
The Declaration of Independence “famously declares ‘that all men are created equal’ even though women, enslaved people and Indigenous Americans were not held as equal at the time,” NPR writes. The publication used this part to promote the article on Twitter.
🧵 245 years ago today, leaders representing 13 British colonies signed a document to declare independence.
It says "that all men are created equal" — but women, enslaved people, Indigenous people and many others were not held as equal at the time. https://t.co/dtE0z2Uabc
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2021
The racist slur that NPR mentioned was a reference to Native Americans, who, according to the article, were labeled as “merciless Indian Savages” in the document.
NPR highlighted this claim in a follow-up tweet as well. It also created a lengthy thread tweeting the entire text of the Declaration, for its followers so they “can see a document with flaws and deeply ingrained hypocrisies.”
In this thread of the Declaration of Independence, you can see a document with flaws and deeply ingrained hypocrisies.
It also laid the foundation for this country’s collective aspirations — the hopes for what America could be. pic.twitter.com/znLSGKWLaj
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2021
At one point, NPR inserted an editor’s note in the Twitter thread to warn readers that the Declaration of Independence uses a “racist slur.”
“Editor’s note: Contains a racist slur against Indigenous people,” the publication wrote in one of the tweets.
(Editor’s note: Contains a racist slur against Indigenous people)
and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, s*xes and conditions.
— NPR (@NPR) July 4, 2021
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) offered similar criticism of the Declaration of Independence on Sunday.
“July 4th… & so, the Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. Equal to what? What men? Only white men? Isn’t it something that they wrote this in 1776 when African Americans were enslaved? They weren’t thinking about us then, but we’re thinking about us now!” Waters tweeted.
‘Further, the Dec. of Ind. says we hold these truths to be “self-evident”… yet: – 17 states have enacted voter suppression laws – Supreme Court gutted Sec. 5 of the Voting Rights Act – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice Need I say more? #July4″ she added.
Further, the Dec. of Ind. says we hold these truths to be "self-evident"… yet:
– 17 states have enacted voter suppression laws
– Supreme Court gutted Sec. 5 of the Voting Rights Act
– George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Tamir RiceNeed I say more? #July4
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) July 4, 2021
Meanwhile, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) tweeted that “[w]hen they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for white people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free.”
When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for white people.
This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free.
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) July 4, 2021
Worth noting: Last month, the National Archives’ task force on racism branded the Archives’ own Rotunda an example of “structural racism.”
